Marauding Dragon
by Hamilcar
Summary: Sirius escapes from Azkaban much earlier and is adopted by Draco Malfoy. Ch. 43: The first year comes to a close and everybody gets to go home. Despite the year ending on a high note, however, not all are coming back to welcoming arms.
1. Draco's Dog

Given the number of fics this category has, this might be an idea already done. But I'm not sure. Either way, I'll give it a go. The coming of the new book has inspired me to write. :)

Remember, I don't own anything even remotely Harry related besides books and merchandise. No rights. Dang.

Enjoy.

* * *

Sirius could never remember feeling more exhausted, tired or depressed in his entire life. For months, _months_, absolutely everything seemed to be going wrong and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Voldemort's apparent passing was the only bright spot of light, but even that was tainted with the suspicion that he might not be as gone as the wizarding world hoped, and even if he was the Death Eaters were still out there. More importantly, that double-crossing bit of scum Peter Pettigrew was still out there. 

The past few catastrophic weeks had left him in a dilapidated state, half-starved and angry, his best friend dead, his godson taken and his sense of direction utterly lost. He felt only slightly lucky to have escaped Azkaban; the rush of relief at not having Dementors casting their pall over him was tempered tremendously by the hunger and the cold he was feeling. He was still in his dog form, since turning back into a human was too risky just yet, and knew that he both looked and smelled hideously. He'd also, in his half-blind dash to get away from where any Ministry officials might be searching for him, managed to get himself disoriented and wound up in a dank wood.

Despondently, he tried shaking the water off of his matted fur as best he could and padded along in search of something to eat. The forest he was in felt as though it went on for miles and showed no signs of leading him anywhere very safe or warm. He managed to chase down a squirrel, despite being exhausted, and wolfed it down without allowing his more human side to feel revolted. He managed to get himself to the edge of the woods, staying under the canopy of branches to stop at least some of the downpour, before falling asleep hoping that the future would look ever so slightly brighter the next day. That seemed a dim prospect given the fact that he didn't even know where he was, where he was headed or who might be after him.

But at least the rain might have stopped.

* * *

Draco was only very dimly aware that something important was going on at Malfoy Manor. Given the level of attention he was receiving, he could not have known that the event was a birthday party for him, even if he had known what a birthday was and the fact that it was his. The reason he had no idea that he was shortly to be the center of attention was because his mother, in preparation to shower him with material goods, kept accidentally getting caught up in party details and inadvertently leaving him behind. 

Thus it was that he was left at the edge of the forest where Narcissa has been considering placing a table for the less 'savory' guests when she suddenly remembered that she hadn't specified to the house elves how many layers she wanted the cake to be and disapparated in a rush lest they make one too small. Once in the kitchen, another issue about streamers had come up, followed by one about a problematic portrait, and so on, leaving Draco to toddle along by himself at the edge of the woods at a loss as to how to get back home.

It had rained heavily the previous evening so each step he took made a pleasant squish. The water had already started to leak into his socks and when he sank into a patch of mud, the ooze sucked at his shoes. He plopped down and with a few rudimentary pulls left them behind, smearing the back of his little black gown with grass and dirt. Now the water came up between his toes and felt pleasantly cool. He started to trot along more quickly, laughing as the grass tickled the bottoms of his bare feet.

Then, quite suddenly, he came upon something that stopped him dead in his tracks.

It looked, to a nearly two-year-old at least, like a mountain of black fur that was slowly rising and falling. It was curled up so he didn't recognize at first that it was a rather large dog. Fear and curiosity fought a brief battle before curiosity won out and he toddled up to it. He tentatively poked it, lifted its floppy ears up and put his hands on the dogs side.

At that point, Draco came to the abrupt conclusion that he was tired and a dog such as this was the perfect pillow to take a nap on. The trees provided shade from the climbing sun and he happily curled up beside the dog. He lay against Sirius' side in a fetal position and stuck his thumb in his mouth, sucking quietly as he fell asleep.

* * *

Sirius realized that something was out of place as soon as he woke up and felt a large, warm object pressing up beside him. He got to his feet slowly and noticed, of all things, a small, light-blond child sliding to the ground. He growled curiously, wondering how the child had gotten there. He was hoping that now that it had stopped raining, he might be able to find a place to get warm since the boy's presence meant that there had to be people living nearby. Given his outfit, there were likely wizards around as well. He'd have to be careful, but at least he might hear enough to know what was going on in his world. 

Suddenly, the boy woke up. Sirius back up a few steps, not sure what the child would do – after all he was quite a large dog. To his relief, Draco grinned. To his consternation, he also ran up to Sirius and threw his arms around the dog's neck as best he could.

"Dwaggy!"

Ever since he learned that his name meant dragon, it had become Draco's favorite word. He never hesitated to use it, albeit in a slightly misspoken form, at any time, in any situation, to refer to anything. He called trees, pictures, tables, hats and spoons 'dragon.' He said 'dragon' when he wanted a drink or to be picked up or needed a change. He said it to the point where Lucius was quite seriously considering performing a minor memory charm on his son to make him forget he'd even learned the word.

"Dwaggy, Dwaggy, Dwaggy!"

Then, before Sirius could get over his shock at the reception or wriggle out of his grasp, Narcissa came running over, half-way hysterical.

"Oh Drakkie-kins, Mummy is so sorry, she only left you for a minute and though you'd stay put! Oh my poor little Drakkie, you could have fallen or gotten hurt… My goodness just look at that robe, and _where_ are your shoes young man and what are you…

Oh my."

She stopped short when her fit stopped just long enough for her to realize what Draco was holding on to. She paled slightly and was trying to think of what to do so as not to aggravate the animal when Lucius apparated some yards away and walked up to her side.

"Did you find him?" He looked before she could respond. "I see you did. What on earth is that thing?" He muttered.

Narcissa remained speechless.

"Dwaggy!" Draco informed his father cheerfully.

Lucius sighed.

"Draco, release that animal at once. It's filthy and probably diseased. You need to come back to the house and get cleaned up. The party will be starting before long and guests will be arriving. Let that go and come with me."

Draco tightened his hold on Sirius, who mentally gulped when he realized just who's child this was. This boy was a Malfoy, the son of a Death Eater!

A Death Eater who no doubt entertained many guests. Many _informative_ guests.

A Death Eater who had no idea Sirius Black was an animagus and might say anything in the presence of a simple mutt.

A Death Eater who right now seemed to be his only chance of a bath or a meal that wasn't raw.

While he was considering this, Draco was sticking his lip out and his eyes were watering. He was verging dangerously on the point of a tantrum.

"Wan'!"

"What?" Lucius frowned and gestured to his son. "Come along, we don't have the time for this."

"Wan' Dwaggy!" Draco's voice grew louder as he held the dog and insisted.

"DRACO!" He father commanded in a scolding tone that warned of trouble.

To the boy's advantage, his doting mother interceded.

"It…" She gulped. "It does seem quite tame…" She told her husband nervously. "And I suspect would look much better once we got it cleaned up… And it _is_ his birthday," she finished, playing her trump card. "Surely, on this day…"

Lucius sighed and closed his eyes.

"Very well. He can keep the damn thing – until the moment it rips something up or does something to the carpets or anything like that. And it does NOT come anywhere near the guests until it is given a proper bath." He looked Draco in the eye. "You get your… whatever… for now but you had both best behave."

He then apparated away and Draco broke into a grin, sensing that he'd one. Narcissa held her hand out and took one of Draco's as the boy tugged Sirius with the other.

"Dwaggy!"

At least, Sirius thought, he was going to get a nice warm bath.

* * *

So… thoughts… like, dislike, leave comments below. Thank you. 


	2. Birthdays and Baths

Well, the first part got a fairly warm welcome so I'm going to try and keep working on this. Of course, I have other fics going but hopefully I'll be able to update all of them on a regular basis.

* * *

Sirius looked around as the house elf led him quickly down into the basement so that nobody would see him. He'd only gotten to glimpse the foyer but even that had been excessively decorated with a brash display of wealth. It was no secret that the Malfoys were quite wealthy, but it was still dumbfounding to see after spending so much time in the dismal stone hovel that was Azkaban.

Even the basement he was being led into contained prominent indicators of their massive fortune. The stones were polished and well kept, there was a massive wine cellar off to one side and even the laundering stations and tubs down there were gilt and gleaming. The house elf wordlessly led him to a spot and pointed, indicating that he should wait there. He did so, patiently waiting and that elf and several others went and pulled out towels and shampoos. They took these over and set them beside an empty tub in the corner when suddenly a piercing scream came from above.

"Drakkie, you don't want to go down there, it's dark and there's lots of boring things…"

"BAF DWAGGY!"

There was the sound of feet pattering across the floor and Sirius nearly felt sympathy for his cousin. She was evidently having a hard time.

"You _cannot_ take a bath with him! Wait until he's clean, then you can play with him all you like!"

Draco suddenly appeared at the top of the steps, looking for the dog. Narcissa gasped and grabbed him quickly before he could fall. Finding himself caught, the toddler burst into tears. His mother tried in vain to comfort him, but he continued to cry until she sighed again.

Walking down the stairs, followed by another house elf carrying bathing supplies, she took Draco over to where the first group of elves were waiting with Sirius. She put the child down then turned to the elf behind her.

"Dobby, you are to see that they both get suitably cleaned. And… _discretion_, Dobby. Do it quickly before Lucius finds out."

The elf nodded vigorously.

"Yes, Mistress. Dobby is doing his best to be serving you and young Master, Mistress."

She turned to Draco as the elves started filling the tub with water and lightly scented bath gels.

"Don't tell your father about this," she said with a slight smile then went upstairs.

Draco grinned as Dobby slid the dirty robe off him and another elf spirited it away. Sirius regarded at him quietly, unsurprised that Narcissa would spoil her son terribly. He'd already learned that crying was the best way to get what he wanted and Sirius wondered how much longer it would be until he was uncontrollably bratty. Then Draco stumbled over to the tub and climbed inside, splashing and smiling in Sirius' direction.

"Dwaggy!"

Sirius climbed in after him as the tub began to foam with suds. Draco played in the water while Dobby and the other elves worked shampoo into Sirius' fur and Draco's hair. Dobby also handed Draco a plastic squeaky dragon which he used to 'attack' the mountains of bubbles. Then, he looked at Sirius with wide grey eyes and put the dragon on his head, from which it slid off and fell into the water with a plot. He did it again, but this time it stayed.

"Dwaggy!" He smiled widely and Sirius relented.

Perhaps the boy was being slightly spoiled… well, more than slightly… but he was young, wasn't he? And hadn't he himself had a similarly luxurious childhood as a Black? Sirius licked the boy's pale cheek and he giggled uncontrollably, making the house elves struggle to get him to stay still long enough to scrub him.

At the end of the bath they gave Draco a new pair of training pants and a fluffy bathrobe and dried Sirius off with a set of plush towels. Dobby ran off to tell Narcissa, who came down and fetched the two, leading them upstairs to Draco's bedroom.

Sirius had to admit that the years hadn't done much to Narcissa – she was still the same haughty pureblood he remembered. However, he was surprised, just slightly, to find that his intense dislike of his family did not spread to her child. As Draco jumped on to the bed, he told himself once again that there was still time.

He didn't know what he could possibly do as a dog, but surely there had to be some way he could prevent Lucius and Narcissa from permanently tainting his young cousin. He considered this as Narcissa dressed Draco in a fresh dress robe and the house elves dried and combed his fur. While he wondered just how he'd managed to not end up like his cousins, he felt something being put around his neck.

Tugging himself away once the elves were done he turned around and glimpsed himself in the mirror. He couldn't look because he didn't want Narcissa to think he was 'too' intelligent but he glimpsed a green and silver collar on him and almost shivered despite himself. Slytherin colors… ew.

Draco was done getting dressed as well and his mother examined the job with a critical eye. At last she nodded, apparently satisfied that they were both presentable enough for the party. All of the house elves except for Dobby quickly vacated the nursery and Narcissa looked Draco in the eye.

"Stay put and don't get into trouble," she warned him. "Dobby, you are to look after them both. Any mischief they get into and you will be punished. Understand?"

"Yes, of course mistress, Dobby is understanding. Dobby is understanding very well!" He replied, wringing his hands anxiously.

She walked out, locking the door behind her as she went to go take care of more details. As Sirius looked in the mirror fully, he felt relief to see that he was still quite good looking if not somewhat thin. The collar around his neck was handsome, despite being the wrong colors, and there was a tag on it that read 'Dragon' on one side. As he examined it, Draco pounced on Sirius, grinning and laughing. Sirius barked loudly, pulled away playfully, and cantered around the room. Dobby watched them both nervously as Draco chased Sirius around the furniture and the dog climbed up and down the chairs, leading the laughing boy in the chase. As he paused and panted to get his breath, Sirius heard his stomach growl.

Dobby snapped his fingers and before long two house elves had brought him meat and a bowl of water. His hunger suddenly came back to him and he set about devouring the food while Draco petted him, running his hands over Sirius' now smooth and shiny coat. As he finished, Draco started tugging his ears, trying to drag him back into their games. Sirius complied, being careful so as not to hurt the boy.

Over the next two hours, Dobby supervised as Draco rolled balls towards him and climbed up on his back. Sirius remained well-behaved and put up with all of the pulling, tugging and poking. He only whined slightly when the boy went too far, to let him know that it hurt, and Draco would stop whatever the action was. At last, the boy grew fatigued and slowed down. He paused and toddled up to Sirius' face then kissed him on the nose, standing on tiptoe to reach.

"Love Dwaggy," he said with a sleepy grin before yawning loudly.

Sirius sat down and Draco curled up next to him once again. Dobby hovered for a moment, unsure of whether or not he should put Draco into his cot, but allowed them to remain that way for another hour until Narcissa came again to bring them down to the party.

Narcissa carried the boy while Sirius trotted beside her. They crossed the large lawn to where a massive silver and green tent had been pitched. Food and decorations were everywhere, along with what seemed like hundreds of people milling about. An enormous cake was the centerpiece of the dessert table and it had two huge candles on it that were waiting to be lit.

Lucius was talking to the guests when he saw his wife and child walk up.

"Ah, the man of the hour!" He said with a smile and everybody around him laughed.

Sirius hung back, trying not to get stepped on, as Draco got passed around to the Fudges, the MacNairs, The Goyles, and the Parkinsons. A few of those families had their own small children with them. When Draco started to fuss at the adults' constant poking, they decided as a group that it would be best if the children got to know each other on their own.

Draco squirmed as his mother put his down and as soon as he was free he ran away from the group of small children and over to his new dog.

"I say," Fudge asked, pouring himself a cup of punch and watching as the other children tentatively wandered towards them, "What kind of dog is that?"

Lucius shrugged and sipped his own drink.

"Some stray. He found it on the property – wandered through the woods, I suppose, stopped before it reached the wards – and quite insisted on keeping the wretched thing. Narcissa thought it would be a good present." He sighed. "I should have simply done away with the mutt and gotten him something suitable… purebred… _smaller_."

Fudge looked at the boy and the dog that were running around on the lawn, refreshed from their naps.

"Well, he does seem very attached."

Lucius nodded.

"I suppose he is. Boys and dogs… Oh well."

"So," said Fudge brightly, changing the subject, "What were you saying about a donation to St. Mungo's?"

Lucius smile silkily.

"I think I should like to make a donation, Minister."

Sirius twisted his head from time to time, trying to glance at what was happening between Lucius and the Minister. However, Draco was busy trying to play with him and he couldn't give himself away by attentively listening. He resumed the chasing game they'd played in the nursery, though only they played it since they other children seemed too intimidated by Sirius' size to join in.

Every few steps, Draco would take a tumble and Sirius would gentle stop until he could lift himself back up. They even rolled on the grass a little. All of this contributed to making Draco's fresh robe as messy as the first. His mother sighed then picked him up and told the children it was time for food and presents.

Their respective parents took them to tables and Draco was set at the head of one. He kept looking towards 'Dragon' and the dog followed obediently, sitting down next to Draco, slightly beneath the table. Narcissa cut up his food and tried to get him to eat some of it, though Draco seemed to prefer his sippy-cup.

Sirius was able to over-hear Lucius conversing with the Minister on the subject of himself. Eventually, others chimed in about how "awful" it was "to have such a filthy beast" on the loose. Sirius felt like growling – not only was he innocent, but many of these people were far worse than he ever was. He was also frustrated since a search meant that he probably wouldn't be out of dog form for some time.

Eventually, after they'd been eating for some time, more house elves cleared the tables and a large stack of presents was placed in front of Draco, both from his parents and those attending the party. The wrap shined in the waning light and the ribbons tangled together as they waited to be opened.

Draco pulled the paper off of them with Narcissa helping until, one by one, with people clapping after each opened present, he'd ripped the wrapping off of all the gifts. They included a child's broom stick which only hovered above the ground, colorful children's books, a plastic set of toys that looked like the Quidditch balls, stuffed dragons, board games, puzzles with large pieces and other assorted children's gifts.

He regarded each with minimal interest and tossed them aside. Narcissa stacked the gifts and when they were through, the house elves once more cleared everything away. The cake was placed in front of Draco and, using her wand, Narcissa lit the two candles.

"Now blow them out and make a wish, Drakkie!"

After three puffs, Draco managed to do it, and was given a large slice of cake which he immediately picked up with his hands, cramming it into his mouth and getting icing all over his face. The guests laughed as Dobby sliced up the cake and the other elves handed each witch or wizard a slice.

While the guests ate, Draco reached for another slice. When his mother gave it to him, he promptly dropped a handful of the chocolate cake in Sirius' direction. He ate it gladly and found that it was quite good – certainly better food than he was used to recently.

Narcissa sighed.

"No, Draco. Food like that is bad for Dragon. You might give him a stomachache!"

'Speak for yourself,' thought Sirius.

Draco pouted but didn't give him anymore. At last, the guests began to leave, one by one, and Narcissa carried Draco back into his room as the house elves started to clean up the lawn. Sirius padded after her, tired from the busy and eventful day he'd had.

He could hardly believe that he'd ended up in the Malfoy household. Of course, now that he was clean and starting to get some of his strength back, there were things to think about. He needed to know what was going on, needed to see how much of a search was being conducted for Sirius Black and, most importantly, needed some way to contact Harry now that he was released.

The home where Dumbledore had taken Harry was far away and Sirius wasn't even sure he knew his way there from Malfoy Manor. He was in no condition to travel, really, and he certainly couldn't make the trip as a human since half the Ministry was undoubtedly looking for him. However, he knew about Lily's family and shuddered to think of what those unpleasant Muggles were doing to his grandson.

He might grow up not knowing magic at all!

'What on earth were you thinking, Dumbledore…' Sirius wondered and regretted, not for the first time, failing to insist that he keep Harry instead of going chasing after Peter.

For now, the wisest course of action, given that even if he found Harry he couldn't take him away since he was technically a convict, seemed to be to remain at the household while he regained his strength and try to think of a way to get around the challenges before him.

He'd set his head down on his paws and was morosely thinking about how much he missed James, Lily and Harry when Narcissa finished changing Draco and bedding him down for the evening. Draco, however, didn't seem to want to fall asleep. He was pointing towards Sirius and his mother sighed.

"Very well, Draco. If I let him sleep with you, do you promise you'll go to bed? No more trouble?"

Draco nodded. Narcissa snapped her fingers and Sirius padded up to the bed, jumping on and curling protectively around Draco. His mother shut the light off and closed the door quietly, allowing them both to get some much needed sleep.

* * *

OK, next chapter will probably have at least a slight fast forward. :) I hope that everybody is enjoying the story thus far and if you have comments/criticisms/contributions please feel free to share any and all suggestions in the little box below. 


	3. Problems with Pansy

Wow, what a night.

Got HBP by 12:20, done by 6 a.m. For those who have not read it or finished it I will say nothing of it here. But… wow.

Also, as promised, time has gone through a slight fast forward here.

* * *

Draco slept soundly that evening as he had every night for the past year and a half. Better than a lullaby, he went to bed every night against Dragon's fluffy fur, hearing his heartbeats through his chest wall. The constant, comforting soft thud always managed to calm him better than any stories or melodies, as his mother soon found out.

Thus Dragon had become a permanent fixture in the Malfoy household, particularly in Draco's room. The only other creatures he had as much contact with were his mother Narcissa and Dobby, the faithful house elf who was usually being ordered by Narcissa to make sure that one or both of them did not get into trouble.

She came in that morning and found them, as she always did, side by side.

"Draco," she said shaking him gently. "Wake up. It's Christmas."

The child suddenly bolted upright, his grey eyes wide with anticipation.

"Presents!" He gasped. He threw the covers off and shook Dragon. "Presents, presents, presents!" He chanted over and over.

He bolted down the stairs, still in his pajamas. They had little golden Snitches all over them and Sirius realized, with an emotion somewhere between affection and regret, that he was quite cute in them. He jumped out of bed and followed him down the twisting stairs to the magnificently decorate tree below.

The kitchen smelled absolutely wonderful as the house elves were cooking up a feast for them to eat later that day. Draco didn't allow it to distract him but instead dove straight for the presents. He rummaged around until he saw a rather sizable package. Because of its lumpiness Sirius could already guess what it was – Draco had been begging for weeks and his parents weren't very likely to refuse.

He gave an excited bark and Draco ripped the paper off of the package faster than Narcissa, watching from the stairs, thought possible. Inside was the bright new sled that he had asked for. Clutching it with delight, he got to his feet and dashed towards the doorway.

"Come on!" He shouted to Dragon.

Narcissa gasped.

"Oh no you don't, not with out the proper clothes on!" She fished her wand out of her dressing gown and waved it so that the door slammed shut. "Don't you want to open up your other presents?"

Draco shook his head and she sighed.

"Very well then, let's get you dressed and into something warm.

Narcissa helped him get dressed, though by now he was starting to do much of it himself. Sirius sat by him and stretched, almost oddly grateful (and not for the first time) that he didn't have to be bothered with things like clothes. It certainly took less time in the morning.

After putting him in the thickest robe she could find, making sure he downed a bowl of oatmeal and bundling him up in coats, mittens and scarves, much to his chagrin, she sent them both out the door, followed by a shivering Dobby. Draco ran to the far back of the yard, where there were a few small rises and dips, with Sirius following, a large black blot on the crisp white landscape.

As they got there and slowed down, Draco could feel himself sweating under the layers of clothing. Sirius was sitting next to Dobby, whose long fingers and ears were turning blue at the tips, and whined. Draco paused, then peeled off a few of the scarves and the outermost jacket. He knew – after a series of stern lectures – that he could not directly hand the clothing to the elf. There were, however, ways around such a prohibition.

"Get dressed, Dobby," he ordered.

The house elf started thanking him prodigiously, but Draco couldn't hear much of it thanks to the rather thick earmuffs he was wearing which were enchanted to keep the wind out so that he didn't get an earache. He clambered to the top of a nearby hill, with Sirius following, and they the both got on. Draco rocked forward until they slid down and landed in a pile, then got up and did it again.

After the first few tumbles, the started to have Dobby push them so that they would go faster. Eventually, Draco also asked him to use the snow in the yard to make the hills even larger and steeper. None of them paid any attention to the time and so it was nearly noon when Narcissa looked out the window to see them returning, cold and flushed.

"He spends an awful lot of time with those two creatures, Lucius."

"Mmmph."

"And he's made the elf dress again."

"Un-hunh."

"He keeps going back into those woods, poking at things, sledding and running around like a hooligan."

"Yes dear."

"Lucius – are you even _listening_?" She turned on her husband who was reading _The Daily Prophet _over a cup of hot coffee and a muffin. He looked up at her.

"What?"

She sighed.

"I'm trying to tell you that I think your son is spending far too much time out of human company. He's not… he doesn't know how to behave."

His father laughed.

"Of course he knows how to behave. He's a Malfoy."

"He comes in all the time with bumps and bruises. Dobby tells me he's been climbing trees, even the tall ones… he's broken limbs more times than I can count! And he dresses the elf and talks to the dog like it's listening and hides behind me whenever we go out somewhere…"

Lucius sighed.

"Dear… he's only three. I'm sure he'll grow out of it."

"And what if he doesn't?" She snapped. "What will he do if he has no social skills?"

"You're his mother!" Lucius retorted. "Do something about it. Invited people over… aren't there some other children we know? The ones who come to his birthday parties and such."

Narcissa bit her lip. He'd never shown the slightest interest in interacting with any of the children he'd met at the Malfoy soirees. However, he was still young. He was learning and needed time to adjust to social groups. Perhaps a play date with only one of them…

Just then, Draco tumbled through the door. Dragon was panting and getting saliva everywhere and Dobby was quickly undressing to avoid any anger or misconceptions. He quickly helped Draco out of the wet, snowy clothing and dashed away, only to come back with a cup of hot chocolate for the boy.

He grinned at his mother.

"Thank 'oo mommy!"

She smiled weakly. "There are still other presents, Drakkie…"

Her words fell on deaf ears as Draco, Sirius and Dobby went over to the fire. Sirius allowed the flames to dry his fur as he watched the light dance on the boy's face as he sipped his drink. By now, he was feeling that he'd run out of excuses. He was much better and much healthier – months of good eating had given his coat a shine and he'd filled out very well. That coupled with the exercise he got playing with Draco everyday had made him quite strong.

The search had been curtailed. Months of not finding him, added to the fact that no attacks were made and Voldemort did not seem to be returning, made the Ministry reluctant to spend any more on him than was necessary. They still had a wizard or three on the lookout, to be sure, but it was not the large-scale, dementor aided search it had been.

He still wasn't sure on how to get to Harry. But he was almost certain that with some time and a little sleuthing he could find out. To get him away he was even prepared to use Grimmauld place. After all, he knew the only relatives the boy had left… Lily's. He disliked them tremendously and hated to think of Harry with them.

However, a few thoughts still held him back. The first was that Dumbledore wanted Harry to go with Lily's sister. He couldn't understand it, but good sense told him that the aged wizard always had a reason – and likely a very good reason. The second was that he still ran a risk. After all, Harry had no reason to believe him – he could only be Draco's age, he would think he was being kidnapped. What if he didn't understand? What if he hated him? He didn't know whether waiting made it better or worse.

Also, there was Lucius. Since he spent so much time around Draco, he didn't always get to keep very close tabs on him. However, he knew who was coming and going, saw the doors that were always locked and overheard snatches of conversations that had undoubtedly dark implications. Sirius began memorizing which objects were 'forbidden' to Draco, where Lucius seemed to put things and which faces were visiting most often. He had no doubt that it would come in handy, one day.

Finally, the one reason that he'd come to realize was holding him back just as much as Dumbledore's wishes, worry over Harry's reaction or desire to figure out what Lucius might be up to, was Draco. The boy was cute yet obnoxious and had a slightly adventurous streak that Sirius was slowly coaxing out of him.

He realized that if he ran, Draco tended to follow. Each day he barked to be let out and went further and further, with Draco tailing behind him, until before long they were making regular trips into the woods. The first few months they had been together, Sirius would wake up with his coat damp and smelly, Draco being afraid of the dark and a frequent bed-wetter. Now he stayed out late, until past the stars coming out, watching the sky on the grass with Sirius until Narcissa came out to drag them both inside. It had not passed Narcissa's watchful eye that since the dog came her son was more adventurous, excitable and mischievous – at least, on his own.

Sirius was also aware that he was making a difference in another, perhaps more important way. Dobby was often assigned to traipse after them since Lucius was always busy and Narcissa had no desire to explore the depths of the woods or the far reaches of the property. Being as they were often quite physical and went into thorny areas of the woods or exploring around ponds, it was not altogether surprising that Dobby often got into mishaps. He was not nearly as hardy as Sirius or even Draco and got scratches and colds with great frequency.

At first Draco merely ignored the house elf's discomfort, as his parents did. Yet soon he noticed Dragon staying behind and helping the elf as best he could to get out of bushes or puddles, and clean himself up. Draco, having few other examples to go by, imitated Dragon and thought that if the dog was watching out for the elf, he would also.

His father and mother tried in vain to explain to him the faults of thinking like this but didn't seem to be able to. They told him how it wasn't befitting, how a house elf wasn't worth it and yet in the end could not persuade him. He ran around with Dobby so much that it upset him to see the elf or his dog in pain. Taking care of another living creature and having another demonstrate care had, inexplicably yet thankfully, imparted Draco with a sense of compassion that had not manifested itself before.

He couldn't leave him now, not when the boy was starting to show signs of breaking free from all that ridiculous pureblood nonsense that had nearly buried him…

Narcissa didn't know what to make of it. All that worried her was the fact that Draco spent more and more time with non-humans and started to avoid contact with people other than his mother and father. She guided him to the stack of presents and watched him open them half-heartedly – the sled was the only thing he'd really wanted – and made a mental note to start having playmates over as soon and as often as possible.

Draco, meanwhile, had opened up all his presents and was busy occupying himself with a large cardboard box that had contained one of them. Dragon was sitting next to him and he seemed to be making up some story of story that involved lots of shouting and explosions.

He really needed company, fast.

* * *

Sirius licked a paw idly as he stood next to Draco, regarding the small girl in front of them. There was something about her features, something sharp and pointed, that made him dislike her for some unknown reason. Her mouth seemed to be perpetually pouty and she was looking at him with a measure of disgust. Her mother was discussing with Narcissa when she would be picked up and once they came to an agreeable time the woman left, leaving the girl in her wake. Narcissa knelt to their level.

"Draco, this is Pansy Parkinson. You remember Pansy, right?"

Draco, stuffed into crisp, clean robes nodded severely but remained silent. Narcissa closed her eyes briefly then went on.

"Pansy is staying with us for a little while today so that you two can play together and get to know each other. Okay? Why don't you show Pansy around and play with some of your toys?"

Draco nodded again and trudged up the stairs. Sirius walked next to him and Pansy came behind, looking around at all the objects in the house as she went.

"You have an awfully big house, Draco. Even bigger than mine!"

"Yeah."

"Your daddy must be really rich to live in such a nice place. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Guess so," he said, opening up the door.

Pansy frowned slightly.

"Don't you ever talk?" She demanded.

"I just did," he said, rummaging in his closet after he'd shut the door. He pulled out a ball and rolled it to Sirius who rolled it back to him.

Pansy, clearly upset at being left out, walked up to Sirius and yanked at the collar. He made a small noise of pain as she jerked him forward to read his tag.

"Hey!" Draco protested. "That hurt him!"

"It's just a doggy," she snapped, not noticing the livid spots appearing high on Draco's cheekbones. "Dragon? That's a stupid name."

"I named him."

"Well he's a dog, not a dragon, so it's _stupid_," she explained in a condescending tone.

Dobby walked in just then to see how they were doing and saw Draco staring daggers at the girl. Anxious to avert a scene, he dashed about bringing out art supplies and pulled out the chairs to the small table in the corner.

"Dobby is thinking that perhaps Master Draco would be liking to draw, sir?"

Pansy wheeled.

"We can decide what to do ourselves! Stupid elf."

Draco again got the indignant blush and turned defiantly.

"Yeah!" He charged over. "I wanna color!"

Pansy flounced over as he started. She took some of the crayons on the table and began to draw flowers in a row, very neat and all looking very much the same. Draco, however, was going at it enthusiastically, scribbling all over his paper with a black crayon, wearing down the point. She looked at it and sniffed.

"What is _that_?"

"It's Dragon!"

"Oh," she said dismissively. "Well that's why it's so ugly."

Draco froze and dropped the crayon before standing. Dobby backed into a corner and Sirius barked to hopefully distract him. It didn't work.

"You called Dragon ugly!"

She looked at Sirius then back at Draco.

"He is! Big ugly brute!"

As if to prove a point, she got out of her chair and walked over to Sirius then kicked him in the side.

* * *

Narcissa looked up from watering her plants at the sound of wailing.

"He bit me!" Pansy cried, tears streaming down her face, holding her hand out in front of her.

Narcissa hastily directed an elf to attend to her then dashed up the stairs, livid. The door opened with a bang and she saw Draco on the floor, petting Dragon. Storming over, she grabbed Sirius by the next and began to drag him out the door.

"Mommy!" Draco cried.

"Draco, your father told you that any misbehavior and the animal would go. It was a long time ago but it still applies. He bit a guest Draco and that's absolutely inexcusable. I know you like him but this cannot…"

"I did!" He shouted and Narcissa froze.

"What?"

He sniffed. "I bit her! She called him ugly. And stupid. And kicked him. And Dragon don't bite so I bit for Dragon." Now he was crying as hard as Pansy had been. "Don't make Dragon go!"

She dropped the dog's collar. Sirius, who was grateful to be breathing again, went over to Draco and started to lick the tears off of the boy's face.

"We," she said seething, "Will talk about this when your father gets home."

By the time she got down, Pansy had been placated with a little magic and a large bowl of ice cream. Narcissa took her home and explained, frustrated at the complete fiasco that had resulted. She returned home to find Draco crying into Dragon's neck, petting him and telling him that it would be OK.

That evening, his father was equally outraged, concerning most of his tirade towards the boy at what the Parkinsons would think of him. He explained, then shouted, then finally resorted to giving the boy a good hiding though it made Narcissa cringe. Draco however didn't seem to mind, so long as they reassured him that, since the dog had not actually done anything, they wouldn't send him away.

Sirius felt sympathy for the boy yet, despite his parents' anger, almost a little proud. He was willing to stick up for a friend, even if that friend was, ostensibly, 'only' an animal. Using the comforter he's gotten for Christmas, Draco fashioned them a little 'fort' over his bed using extra pillows fetched by Dobby and the blanket as a roof. Curled up with Dragon, he slept and had dreams of great winged beasts and huge stony castles.

All in all, it had been a good day, so long as it ended like this.

* * *

Next chapter, another leap in time and a little more on the problem of Harry. :) Hope you enjoyed and I'd love a review – critical or otherwise. 


	4. Being a Malfoy

And the updates keep on rolling. :) Oh, and for those who didn't know – it was Draco who did, in fact, bite Pansy last chapter. Sirius knows better and Narcissa can tell the difference between a child's teeth marks and a dog's.

Once more… we fast forward.

* * *

Lucius took Draco aside and sat him down in a chair in his study. He stood tall over the five-year-old and fixed a severe gaze on him. Draco averted his eyes and looked at the floor. 

"Well?" Lucius demanded.

"Well what?" Draco asked in a quiet voice.

"What was that about?"

"What was what about?"

"Don't play games with me Draco!" Lucius fumed. "That incident. With Gregory. How did he manage to get himself covered in fur?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno."

"I think you do." Lucius paused and lifted the boy's chin up. "Look at me when I'm talking to you! Why is it that every guest you seem to have over meets with a mishap of some sort? Vincent and the lake, Blaise and all those bowtruckles, now Gregory…"

"Nothing happened with Theo."

"That's because you two just sat down and read books in separate corners for three hours!" Lucius was very nearly shouting. "I am rapidly running out of patience. What is going on here? Why don't you behave around guests?"

"I didn't do…"

"Don't play games with me! Why can't you act nicely around those we invite over?"

"Maybe because I don't WANT them over!" Draco burst out suddenly. "Why do you have to invite over every kid my age you know? Why do I have to keep them busy? I don't want to know them… I don't like them… They don't like to do what I like to do and I don't like to do what they like to do so why can't things be easy on all of us and why can't I just be left ALONE!"

Lucius straightened up and clenched his hands, trying to restrain himself.

"Because, Draco, you are a Malfoy. You have a social responsibility to be presentable and gregarious with the proper people. Instead, you spend all the damn day with that mutt and that ridiculous house elf!"

Draco's face grew red.

"The listen to me! They don't laugh at me when I tell stories or refuse to go play in the woods with me! And what if I like them better than I like those people you keep bringing over!"

"It's doesn't MATTER if you like them or not! You are supposed to be making connections, keeping good relations between other families of our stature! Need I remind you? You are a _MALFOY_!"

"Well maybe I don't want stature or to be a Malfoy!"

The last comment earned him a sharp slap across the cheek. Draco touched the stinging red mark and tears welled in his eyes. He became instantly subdued and seemed to shrink into his chair. Lucius cleared his throat uncomfortably yet his voice remained distinctly cold.

"I am sorry that I had to do that. But you are neglecting your obligations and I see no other way to drive some sense into you. I am warning you Draco – you have to start behaving like a proper young man. If you don't…

If you don't, then – misbehavior or not – the elf gets clothes and the dog won't be far behind."

Draco looked up, his grey eyes now bloodshot and swimming with tears.

"You… Daddy, you wouldn't!"

Lucius looked at him, unflinching.

"I would. I do not wish to make you unhappy. However, I will not see my only child become an eccentric recluse who keeps to himself and only converses with animals." He paused and sighed. "I know that it doesn't seem like it now, but trust me that this is for your own good. You will want these people as friends once you get to school and you no longer have your elf or your dog.

It seems harsh… but some day you will thank me." He gave the boy a handkerchief with the family crest embroidered on the corner. "Here. Wipe your face and you may be excused."

Draco took the cloth and dabbed at his eyes without comment, walking slowly until he was out of the study. Once in the hallway, he bolted to his room and slammed the door shut.

Narcissa walked up and looked at her husband in concern.

"You were too harsh with him I trust?" She asked nervously.

He walked over to her and put his arm around her waist.

"I'm sorry, 'Cissa… but I told him that if he didn't shape up I was going to release the elf and give away the dog."

"Oh Lucius! Would you?"

"I don't know. I might." He paused. "But I think he understands now. I shouldn't have to carry out the threat."

* * *

Locked in his room, Draco immediately threw himself on the bed and cried. Sirius knew the conversation hadn't gone well and wondered what it was about. Considering it happened not long after the departure of yet another one of those Death Eater spawn his parents kept inviting over, Sirius could guess. However, he didn't have long to wait before Draco started to tell him everything, as he always did.

"Daddy knows!" He moaned to Sirius. "He knows I keep pulling… things… to keep them away. And he says that unless I act like I like them he'll get rid of you and Dobby!"

Sirius' stomach lurched as Draco buried his face in the pillow once more. Worried that he might be forced to leave his only place of refuge, Sirius got onto the bed and nudged Draco, who wrapped his scrawny arms around the dog.

"This is awful Dragon, what am I going to do? I can't stand them! I wish they would all just go away!"

Dobby, who had been wringing his hands nervously since hearing he might be gotten rid of, continued to bring in tissues for his young master. Draco kept saturating them with tears and blowing his nose at a regular pace, until at last the anxiety began to subside. He sniffed loudly and looked at Sirius.

"I guess I'll just have to be nice to them… I'm sorry guys. I didn't want to get you into trouble too."

"Is not trouble, Master! Dobby is serving badly, is why, will try and do a better job…"

Draco hopped off the bed and stopped Dobby from punishing himself by banging his head against the walls of the room.

"Come on, Dobby, don't. Please don't. I order you to stop punishing yourself!"

The house elf finally ceased his behavior and Draco flopped backwards onto his bed.

"Don't worry," he told Dragon. "I won't get either of you kicked out. I can play, put up a face if I have to, as long as I don't have to say good-bye to either of you." He sighed, then smiled and looked at his dog with an amused expressed. "It was funny though, wasn't it?"

Sirius gave a loud bark of agreement and Draco started to laugh despite himself.

"I know father was horribly angry but just the look on that lump's face… couldn't figure it out at all… and he just kept eating the cupcakes!" Draco laughed until he was breathless. "I don't think anybody figured out it was in the icing," he said, catching his breath.

Though he couldn't tell him, Sirius was immensely amused and proud to see Draco figuring out cleverer ways of warding off unwanted guests than simply biting them. His antics, coupled with his fondness for exploring the grounds as much as possible, were what made life in Sirius' cousin's house bearable.

If not for Draco, he should have gone crazy with having to remain an animagi and never getting to see Harry. As it stood, the situation was painful but not unbearable. He would be patient and wait until… until…

Well, until he had some way of getting to Harry and explaining himself to the boy and, hopefully, the rest of the world before getting locked up in that stony dementors' palace again. He wasn't sure how he was going to manage to do this without knowing where Pettigrew was but something had to change… Something at some point…

He settled for growling happily as Draco scratched him behind the ears. The boy sat up and looked at the house elf that was occupied with straightening his toys.

"Dobby? Run down to the kitchen and get us both something to eat, would you? Thanks." He paused, then added as an afterthought, "And get rid of all the cupcakes down there that have the blue icing." He shared a conspiratorial glance with Sirius. "I think they might be spoiled."

* * *

Weeks later, Draco sighed in relief as the door shut behind Millicent. Playing with her was rather like trying to dance with a troll. Contact was inevitably involved and while you didn't want to, you also had a nasty idea of what might happen to you if you managed to offend. He quickly looked at his father, who smiled in approval.

"Very good Draco. I expect the same behavior next week when Gregory comes again."

Draco's stomach twisted but he managed to nod.

"May I go and play for real now, dad?"

Lucius paused, and then nodded.

"You may. Don't stay out too late, however. Your mother and I are going out to dine so we will not be here to look after you, though I trust the house elf will do an adequate job. Be in bed by ten. That is all."

He nodded; being left alone was nothing new. His parents usually went out, often with somebody like the minister or some other official, but occasionally by themselves. Draco was used to spending evenings with only Dobby and Dragon for companions and he actually rather enjoyed the quiet.

As soon as his father left, the boy was out the door in an instant with Sirius at his heels and Dobby looking at them from an upper story window in a concerned fashion.

Draco hadn't been into the woods for days so he went there first. He looking mournfully at the stables, but his father wasn't allowing him to ride anything but docile ponies until he was a little bit older and a little bit larger. Trying not to think about this, he ducked around back and grabbed his broom. It still had stops put on it but at least it could rise to a decent height. He sped along the ground with Sirius racing to keep up underneath.

The came to the edge of the woods and Draco took the broom down gently. He set it on the grass where he could find it then beckoned Dragon to come along with him.

"Come on boy! Maybe we can find something new today!"

He hadn't told his parents, but he was hoarding a collection of interesting objects he found in the woods, things he forbid Dobby to get rid of or even touch. They included oddly shaped stones, a variety of roots, pieces of bark and shells of insects that had molted.

Ducking through the trees and kicking leaves as he went, Draco hummed a little while Sirius chased a squirrel, glad that he needn't think about having to eat it. The boy stopped at one of the many bowtruckle trees they had and allowed a few of the small creatures to climb onto his hands. They'd scratched him quite badly the first time he'd found them, but by now he was a frequent enough visitor that they were used to his presence.

As they went further in, Sirius sniffed the ground to see if he could find anything interesting. The one day he'd picked up on the scent of a unicorn and, sitting very quietly and looking out from a bush, Draco had actually gotten a small, golden one to come over before it grew skittish and galloped away after an unseen mother.

However, he picked up no such interesting scents today. He contented himself with sniffing the crisp, clean air, when Draco pointed at something.

"Look!"

Obviously the boy had seen something more interesting as he was pointing up at something in a nearby tree. Sirius looked up in a curious manner as Draco started to climb. He couldn't tell precisely what it was that had interested the boy, but stayed at the foot of the tree wagging his tail patiently.

Draco climbed about half-way up when he saw the prize he'd spotted from the ground. Hanging on one branch was a discarded snake skin, empty but very well intact. He grinned and thought of what a great addition it would make to his collection. He edged a little further out, stretched his arm and managed to grab it.

"Gotcha!" He said triumphantly as the branch wavered under his weight.

Suddenly, a black coil slithered across the branch, disturbed by his vibrations. Sirius barked loudly but it nevertheless managed to catch Draco on the arm. He cried out loudly, in pain, and fell out of the tree. Sirius sprang to his feet and watched horrified as there was nothing he could do to prevent Draco from falling to the ground with a dull thud.

He'd fallen before and it wasn't a great height; Sirius wasn't worried about that, though he likely had something broken. What he was more worried about was the fact that he was nearly certain that the snake up there had been a boomslang. A quick look at the skin still clutched in the boy's hand told him that he was right; and even if he wasn't, it was clear that the boy was already in trouble. Draco's face was an expression of pain and the area around the bite was looking worse by the moment.

'Damn!' Sirius thought to himself. 'What was that doing up there? They aren't native to this area!'

The best he could figure was that it had been one of the 'potions' creatures, kept on hand at the Manor for the purpose of harvesting necessary ingredients; this one must have gotten away and escaped to the woods. The snake's origin, however, was hardly the most pressing issue on Sirius' mind.

They were deep in the woods and Draco needed help quickly. Sirius was well away of the hemotoxic effects of the boomslang's venom; it had small fangs, but in a large enough dose it could kill an adult. Draco was only a child, and a small one at that. He needed to see someone immediately or he would die.

Thanks to his fall and the pain, he couldn't move very well. The length of the forest and the lawn meant that Sirius dragging him would be equally ineffective. The two elder Malfoys were undoubtedly gone by now and all that was left was Dobby, who wouldn't think to look for them until much later. Nobody knew anything was wrong, there was nobody around who could help.

Except…

Except.

'Except I'm really a human,' thought Sirius. 'A human who could apparate but just might be blowing his cover by doing so…'

He looked in Draco's face, contorted in agony.

"Dragon?" He cried. "Dragon, am I going to die?"

Sirius didn't even have to debate. In an instant, he was back in his human form, wearing his tattered robe from Azkaban. Draco's eyes grey wide as Sirius gathered him up in his arms.

"Be still," he told Draco. "Try not to move. Just close your eyes… I'm going to apparate you… Just close your eyes and it will all be over soon," he said, trying to sound as reassuring as he could for someone who'd just popped up out of nowhere.

He apparated the boy up to the house, changed back into a dog and started to paw and bark madly at the door. Within seconds, Dobby answered it and screamed when he saw the boy's body.

"Master Draco!"

Sirius nudged the skin so that Dobby understood what had bitten him. A host of other house elves appeared at his side and Draco was swiftly taken upstairs. A magical anti-venom was applied, along with several other potions to calm him down and take away the pain. Lastly, his leg (which was in fact broken) was mended and he was left to convalesce under Dobby's watchful and fretful eye.

Quietly, Sirius padded in, wondering what would happen next.

"Dragon?" Draco said quietly, peering out at him from a mass of pillows. "What are you?"

* * *

Cliffy! Kinda sorta. Thought about ending it where he got bitten but then decided this would work better. Oh, and by the by – for those who didn't know, a boomslang is a real snake that can be toxic.

Hope you enjoyed – and whether you did or didn't, please leave your thoughts in a review. :)


	5. Dragon's Confession

Well, since rapid updates are always a welcome feature of any story I won't keep you waiting. I'm just glad that so many people seem to like the story. He did see rather erudite for five… I've adjusted that a bit in here (you'll see how0 and I suppose he could just be rather advanced for his age.

I'll be more careful in the future, though, to make things 'age appropriate'

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Draco's grey eyes bored into Sirius and he felt distinctly uncomfortable. He was rapidly deciding what had to be done, but whatever it was, it would be done in private. He growled in a low voice and tossed his dead in Dobby's direction. Draco nodded.

"Dobby?"

"Yes, Master Draco?"

"I'm OK. Go away until I call you. Don't let anyone in here. And don't tell mommy and daddy. Okay?"

Dobby nodded enthusiastically.

"Dobby is going, Master Draco. Master Draco won't be bothered, sir!"

With that, he made a hasty retreat out the door. Draco got up, made sure the door was locked, and then stumbled back in to his bed. The potions were helping but he was still a little weak.

"Dragon?" He looked at the dog curiously. "What happened?"

Sirius had come to the conclusion that he would have to put his faith in Draco and tell the boy, hoping that he would be willing and able to keep the secret. He wasn't sure how Draco was going to react. However, if he pretended that nothing happened and never explained to Draco why he should keep silent there was always the chance the boy might casually mention to his parents in some way. Even to say that he 'dreamed' or 'hallucinated' it might be enough to arouse their suspicions and if worse came to worse Lucius might for him to shift back.

He would sooner take a gamble on Draco's trustworthiness – despite his being a Malfoy. After all, he'd never given Draco a reason to doubt him or be afraid of him as a dog. Hopefully that would extend to him in his actual form. And it was better than always worrying that Draco would inadvertently let something slip that he didn't even know he should be keeping secret.

With a muted 'poomf' sound he changed back into his own shape. The boy's grey eyes dilated and he quickly tried to calm him down.

"Draco," he began. "Do not scream. You must not. I will explain as quickly as I can, but you must not alert anyone to my presence." Noticing the boy's fear he remained still. "I will not hurt you, Draco. I'm sorry about this but… I suppose I owe you a rather large explanation."

Draco, stunned, merely nodded. Sirius, encouraged by the fact that he hadn't yelled his bloody head off, took a few steps towards the boy's bedside. He knelt there so that he was Draco's eye level.

"I am an animagus," he said. "A wizard who can transform into an animal at will. Obviously my animal is a dog. My real name is Sirius Black – " Draco let out an audible gasp but he continued, "And I was in that form because I'm hiding."

"You… you're a criminal!" Draco squeaked, scooting away from him. "You're… you're that crazy wizard! From Azkaban! I… I… don't kill me… please don't kill me…" Draco started to shake, suddenly aware that he was a young child in a house alone with a man reported to be a mass murderer.

Sirius' eyes grew distant and sad.

"Draco, I told you that you were in no danger. I'm not here to kill you Draco… I… Well, just let me explain, all right?" He smiled at the boy, gently. "There's no need to worry. Look!" He held his hands out. "I don't even have a wand. Come now, don't cry… I never hurt you as Dragon, did I?" Draco shook his head 'no.' "Then I hardly see why I would change my behavior now.

You'll understand…"

Draco sniffed and gulped.

"If you're not going to kill me, why were you in prison? Only bad people go to prison."

Sirius' jaw grew tight. Apparently Lucius had omitted telling Draco about his Death Eater relatives in there. He wondered if Draco would think they were 'bad people' too in a few years.

"I was framed," he said. "Normally only people who have committed crimes go in there but I never committed the crime for which I was sentenced. The evidence was, I must admit, against me and I was rather not in my right mind at the time but… Trust me Draco when I say I didn't do it."

Draco paused for a long moment and Sirius' heart began to speed up. It seemed as though this were the moment, that if he lost the child's confidence here it would be all over…

Draco nodded and Sirius released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"What happened?" Draco asked quietly.

Sirius sighed.

"I… I and my friends… we were all betrayed. I was going to be the Secret Keeper for my friends, the Potters, but we switched because we thought it would be too 'obvious,' that Volde… You-Know-Who," he amended, seeing the look on Draco's face, "Would come after me and force it out of me. So we switched to the man I 'murdered,' Peter Pettigrew. James Potter and I were close with him and Remus Lupin while we were in school. Peter seemed the least likely of the four friends so he became the Keeper.

We didn't know it but HE was the one working for You-Know-Who… he told their secret and got them killed. I went to hunt him down… He yelled 'How could you' to make it seem like it was my fault and blew up the street behind him."

Sirius was shaking softly by now but Draco drew a little closer to him, deeply interested in his tale.

"But… I thought he was your friend!"

Sirius nodded wearily.

"So did we… and that's why it hurt so bad."

After pausing thoughtfully, Draco looked up at him.

"But how did he get away?"

"He was an animagus too – we became them illegally at Hogwarts, that's another story in and of itself, but long story short is that his animal is a rat. Small enough to run away. He cut off a finger and escaped, probably into the sewers. And because nobody knew we were animagi except the four of us, no one thought anything of it.

I was… unhinged," he admitted hesitantly, "James was dead and Remus thought I'd done it, so no one could say anything against Peter."

He shuddered.

"I went to Azkaban for that… Had to stay as a dog from time to time, just to keep from going crazy… lost so much weight I was able to slip out the one day… I managed to get to the shore and stumbled around, lost, for weeks. I was starving, tired and hungry when I stumbled into your forest."

Sirius looked up and smiled at Draco.

"And that's when you found me."

Draco blushed a little.

"I can't even remember…"

"It was a really long time ago – it will be four years to the day in about a month. It was on the date of your second birthday and you wandered away. Found me and decided to take a nap," Sirius said with a fond chuckle. "I… I'd always meant to leave at some point but you took care of me and I… well, I grew fond of you. You're a good kid."

Draco grinned.

"But…" Sirius sighed.

"But what?"

"People still think I'm guilty. I still have to hide. And worst of all, I have a godson – James' child, the child I was supposed to protect, the 'Boy Who Lived' as they call him – and I can't even get to him."

Draco looked away.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault Draco… not at all. You're too young, it was nothing you did… No, Draco, staying was my decision out of need and want."

"But why can't you just tell someone? Mommy and daddy will help!"

"No Draco. No, they won't. First of all, there's no proof. No one will believe me. And this time I'd only go back to prison if I'm lucky. More likely… they'd probably call Dementors."

Draco shivered slightly at the mention of the creatures.

"Besides, you're mother… she's my cousin and we haven't… We had a bit of a falling out quite a few years ago."

"Mommy? Cousin? Then what are we?"

"Second cousins once removed I think," Sirius said with a thoughtful look.

Draco began drawing shapes in the sheets, fidgeting.

"So you and mommy are mad at each other? Why?"

Sirius sighed.

"You're too young, you wouldn't understand."

"Draco stuck his lip out.

"Yeah I would! I can! Try me!"

Sirius shook his head.

"No Draco… not right now. Maybe when you're older… at least, a little older…"

Draco flopped back onto the pillows pouting.

"I will tell you of that soon. But for now, will you promise me that you'll allow me to keep my disguise? I am not deceiving you Draco… Will you let me stay safe?"

Draco looked at him innocently and for a moment Sirius wondered if he wasn't unfairly allowing Draco's naïveté to influence his actions. An older child might have disbelieved the story, mistrusted Sirius. But Draco…

He hugged Sirius.

"Ok Drag… Sirius. I won't tell nobody. It's a secret just for you and me."

Sirius hugged him back.

"Jus between you and me."

Draco then looked at him once more, curious.

"Will I get to see you as a human anymore?"

Sirius smiled.

"From time to time perhaps. When there's no one around. Mostly I'll stay in my dog form but… every now and then, I promise. OK? Now…" he said, fluffing the pillows, "You need some sleep, young man.

You've had a long day."

He changed back into a dog and Draco yelled for Dobby. The elf tucked them both in, pulling up the sheets so that only their heads were visible, and they fell asleep within minutes.

Later that evening, Lucius and Narcissa came home to the (rather abridged and somewhat falsified) story of what had happened to Draco, as told by Dobby. His mother nearly had a fit, but was calmed down when she saw him sleeping peacefully with his dog.

She smiled at Lucius.

"So nice that he has such a loyal pet, isn't it?"

Lucius rolled his eyes.

"Oh please… the animal just wants to keep warm."

Narcissa gave her son one soft kiss and with that, they headed off to bed. She took a final look at the duo and shook her head; she respected Lucius, but there was no doubt in her mind that the animal was special and a source of comfort for Draco.

* * *

Though Draco was feeling perfectly well, Narcissa insisted that he spend at least one day recovering in bed. Though he was disappointed that he had to stay inside – especially when it was a beautiful May morning – he accepted this and chose instead to read books.

Despite his negative experience with the snake, he was still quite interested in that and all manner of other animals, both magically and non-magical. Dobby got him books from the library on the third floor and he paged through them, reading what he could and examining the pictures with great interest. He loved to look at the colorful diagrams and drawings but especially enjoyed the magical photographs in which many of the animals could be seen moving.

Sirius sat by him as he read and from time to time Draco would give him some of the snacks that his mother insisted upon lavishing on him. Cookies might not have any clear medical value but he wasn't about to refuse. So Dobby continued to bring up books and extra glasses of milk.

Around noon, Narcissa decided to bring up his lunch personally. She set the sandwich down on the table next to him and fondly patted his head and straightened his sheets.

"Mummy?" Draco asked as he turned another page.

"Yes, Drakkie-kins?" She said in reply.

"For my birthday, can I go to the zoo?"

* * *

And that's not too much of a cliffy… but hey. Take what you can get. :) Debating on whether or not to make it a 'muggle' zoo – do they have wizarding zoos? – as well as whether or not to have him 'run into' anybody there.

But that's a story for next chapter. And remember - review. C'mon. All the cool kids are doing it. :-) Seriously, though – feedback is always appreciated.


	6. Zoo Escapades

I'm so glad that you all seem to like this story so well. As a thank you for all the reviews I will continue to make updates well-paced. Also, at the end there is a little surprise and an incentive. :-)

And a note on his parents: They are a bit nicer right now – but that's because the story, while being in 3rd person, sees mostly what Draco sees. As he's young, he won't see too much of that 'darker' side until later, but there's a bit of it in here. And a chance 'meeting' too. :) But you'll have to read to find out.

Now, for the chapter.

* * *

Draco was so excited about his birthday the next day that he couldn't settle down. It wasn't so much a matter of the amount of presents that he would be getting (he always got loads and rarely wanted many of them) but rather of where they would be going.

His mother had agreed upon taking him to the zoo and – after much begging, cajoling and agreeing he wouldn't be too frightened – his father had agreed to take them to what was widely considered the best zoo in England. It was hidden out in some Unplottable part of the countryside and was the only place in the country where they kept such a large quantity of unusual and rare animals.

Chief among Draco's concerns was getting to see the feature of the zoo: the dragons. His eagerness at the prospect of seeing his namesake creatures live and up close had made him so excitable over the past month that Narcissa had resorted to giving him sleeping draughts just so that he would get a bit of rest.

Sirius was also eager to get outside and away from the manner. The two would run away into the woods where they wouldn't be seen, Draco taking books and a zoo pamphlet with him, and would plan what they wanted to view fist and how much time they wanted to spend on the various creatures.

"How'd they keep dragons, do you think?" Draco asked breathlessly the day before.

Sirius had just changed and smiled at Draco.

"A great quantity of spells and wards, I should thing. Besides, according to the pamphlet not all of them are precisely fit. These dragons are at the zoo because they are, for some reason or other, unable to live in the wild. So I'm sure whatever problems they have, it helps to keep them controlled."

"It says here that they have a Sphinx… Plus they have stables there, with Abraxans and Aethonons! I wish I could ride one… they even have a few thestrals… Not that I'll be able to see them," he said with a sigh.

"Be glad that you can't," Sirius gently admonished.

"I know." He opened up the massive book he'd brought with him, an encyclopedia of beasts. "Let's see… the augury… Here it its! Cool… They have an aquarium with a ramora and shrakes, a hippocampus… There are runespoors and ashwinders near the dragon exhibit… Must be the reptile area."

Sirius smiled.

"You're really excited about this, aren't you?"

"Yeah!" He looked around them. "I mean, there are neat animals here too. But a lot of them don't come close. And I can't see any of the bigger, more dangerous stuff. Or any sea animals."

"Well, I'm sure you'll get to see plenty there."

"Yep," he grinned. "I just hope I can get through it all…"

Draco flipped through the book and Sirius relaxed until roughly lunchtime, at which point Sirius resumed his animagus form and they headed back to the manor. Narcissa had lunch waiting for them and Draco tore into the sandwich eagerly. He looked at his mother.

"Mum, can I get an Abraxian?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Drakkie-kins," she said gently.

He swallowed.

"How about a thestral?"

"Draco! No! Goodness, you couldn't even see it!"

"The Abraxian?"

She sighed.

"I don't know. Maybe. Ask your father."

Draco nodded, figuring that it was the best he'd get for now. Not that he didn't like the scores of horses kept in the Malfoy stables. He just wanted something a bit more… impressive. Suddenly, Narcissa yelped.

"A mouse!" She gasped. "That's the second time this week…"

Draco sprang out of his chair as she reached for her wand. He scooped up the offending creature and carried it out of the door before she had a chance to cast any spells.

"There," he said with a smile as he sat back down.

"Go wash your hands, after touching that filthy thing."

"Ok…"

She sighed. "I just don't know how they could be getting in here. I suppose I'll have to set more traps…"

Draco twitched but went to wash up, came back and rapidly finished his lunch.

"May I be excused?" He asked her as she paged through a magazine.

"Of course, love."

"Come on, Dragon!"

He ran up the stairs with the dog and to his room where he tried to spend the remaining hours until nightfall, watching the clock tick as he looked through Quidditch books and the beast encyclopedia, played a wizard's chess game with Dobby and generally wasted time until he had to go to sleep.

It was after ten when he finally got tired enough to crawl into bed. He patted the mattress and Sirius joined him just as he forced his eyes shut, willing the morning to come as quickly as possible.

For his parents, it came quickly enough. They were unpleasantly surprised by Draco leaping onto their bed at 6 a.m. as though it was Christmas morning.

"Come on! Let's go! The zoo opens at eight!"

"Drakkie… it's six in the morning…"

"Yeah! We only have two hours! Hurry! Get dressed!"

"They have a floo port, Draco…." Lucius grumbled, rolling around on the mattress. "We can get there in seconds. We don't need to be up for another hour…"

Their protests went unnoticed as Draco started banging around, turning all the lights on and rousing house elves so that they started to prepare breakfast.

Narcissa looked at her husband.

"I don't think were getting any more sleep, dear. Shall we?"

Draco managed to get down a rather large breakfast and hurriedly got himself dressed. He then paced until about ten until eight, at point his father got out the Floo powder and they went to the zoo in question, the Pokeby Aviary, Aquarium and Zoo. Sirius was not thrilled about having to be leashed but Draco was bouncing up and down exuberantly as his father bought the tickets. The moment he placed one in Draco's hand the boy started to run off.

"Remember to meet us at the food count at noon, sweetie!" Narcissa called after him and he rushed along the walk with Dragon's leash in hand.

He nodded, then disappeared around a corner as his mother sighed.

"Should we have left him alone?"

"There are guards and lookouts everywhere. Everything is well kept. And he's with that mutt. There's nothing he could possibly run into."

"But kidnappers or something…"

"Come, Narcissa. We are not at a Muggle zoo, you know. Security is tighter than that." He flashed her a smirk. "Shall we?"

They walked in together at a much slower paced, headed for the aviary and some of the more benign exhibits.

Meanwhile, Draco was fretting over what to see first, despite all the planning he'd attempted.

"Well, Dragon, what do you think? Shall we go look at the real ones?" Sirius barked an affirmation. "Let's go then!"

They ran off to see the three dragons, kept behind massive glass walls that had so many shields and charms on them it wasn't funny. There were three; an Antipodean Opaleye that didn't have any visible problems, a Chinese Fireball with wings that were severely damaged and a Hebridean Black that had a crumpled leg.

Grinning, Draco watched them lolling, occasionally shooting puffs and jets of flame. He turned towards Dragon.

"I think I like the Hebridean Black the best, what do you think boy?" He barked. "Yeah," he sighed wistfully. "Wish I could get one…"

The zoo wizard on guard laughed.

"Can't tame a dragon, boy. Get yer head ripped off."

Draco shrugged.

"Maybe. But it would be so cool…"

After roughly a half-hour of watching them he took Sirius and they went to the snake house nearby. The snakes slithered around and looked at him, but he secretly felt that he'd lost much of his enthusiasm for snakes after the incident of the bite. He hurried along and noted that there was a sign for a flying horse show to take place at nine.

Hurrying Sirius along, he managed to get a decent seat and watched them swoop and dive in amazement. Since the show took place near the stables, he decided they would go there next. Taking Dragon he rushed along to avoid the crowd leaving the show. As he did, he inadvertently bumped into a girl.

"Oh! Sorry," he said, though she seemed not to have noticed.

"Hmmm? Oh. Yes. It's OK."

She turned towards him and looked at him with distant silvery eyes that were not unlike his own grey ones. The girl was also dressed quite oddly, in a robe with puffy edging and large earrings shaped like gourds. But she seemed to be about his age and they were headed in the same direction, towards the Abraxan horses. Clearing his throat, he felt he might start up a bit of a conversation.

"So… you like the horses?"

She smiled, still distant and dreamy.

"Oh yes, they're quite lovely aren't they?"

Draco nodded vigorously.

"Yeah! I'd like a thestral show but I guess that would be morbid… And I couldn't see it anyway… Do you like the zoo?"

"Mmmmm. It's nice. They have no really good animals though, like Crumple-Horned Snorkacks."

"Ummmmm…" Draco looked at her curiously. "Do those even exist?"

"Oh yes."

"OK…" He was starting to wonder about her, but they'd reached the stables and nobody else was around. "I'm Draco Malfoy by the way," he said, extending his hand.

She took it lightly and briefly shook it, smiling as she did.

"Luna Lovegood."

He grinned.

"Nice to meet you Luna."

They meandered through the stables together as the horses were brought back from the show. One of the kindlier trainers, thinking them rather cute, even allowed them to approach one of the gentler horses and stroke it. Draco was awed by the horse's size and power while Luna seemed to find its face fascinating.

Though he really liked Sirius, as a dog and a wizard, he couldn't exactly carry on a conversation with him while they were in public. So, even though she made some rather odd comments, Draco was secretly rather glad to have someone to wander along with and to talk to about the animals. Nobody else seemed much interested in listening to his rather expansive knowledge of the animals, but Luna was quite content to listen to whatever he had to say for however long it took him.

The meandered through the aviary next.

"And that's an augury," he went on. "Their cried foretell rain!" He ran to another cage. "And look! An occamy! It even has eggs," he commented, looking at the silver pile on the nest.

As they wandered, Luna talked to the birds. Draco wasn't too bothered by it – after all, he talked to Dragon even before he knew he was an animagus – and soon joined in with her in talking to them.

"Hey there!" She cooed to a Snidget. "You're cute!"

"Cute nothing," teased Draco. "Looks like he'd be good for a Quidditch game!"

The Snidget chirped.

"Oh, we'd never do that to you, Mr. Snidget."

They went on in this manner for a while, and then suddenly noticed that every bird in the place seemed to be flapping about and looking at them.

"Wow," Draco breathed. "Think they understand us?"

Luna looked at him again with her vaguely unsettling gaze.

"Why wouldn't they understand you?"

Confused and blushing slightly, he turned away and fixed his attention on a nearby Fwooper.

"Um… why don't we check out the aquarium?"

Still slightly flustered, they made their way over and watched the hippocampus swim for a long while. They wandered over to the ramora tank and then the shrake one, but Draco did not talk to the animals this time. Even so, he had the unsettling feeling that they were watching him.

Suddenly, he glanced at the clock on the wall which read 11:56.

"Shoot!" He cried. "I have to meet my parents at the food court in a few minutes… Want to come?"

Without waiting for a response, he grabbed her hand and dragged her and Sirius along until all three started running. They made their way to the center of the zoo, a circle of restaurants and gift shops. After looking around for a bit, he spotted two tall figures in dark green robes.

"There they are!"

He ran up to them.

"Hey Mum, Dad." He grinned. "I brought a friend – can she eat with us?"

Narcissa smiled but Lucius looked beyond his son to the small, wide-eyed girl behind him.

"Who is this?" He asked with just a slightly steely undertone.

"Luna," said Draco. "Luna Lovegood."

"Lovegood?" He snapped.

She nodded slowly.

"My father edits a newspaper," she said, maintaining her smile.

"Yes," Lucius replied sourly. "I surmised as much." He then turned to his son. "Draco, I think you'd best bid Miss Luna goodbye." He shot her a withering glare. "I'm _sure_ her parents are eager to know where she is."

"But…" He protested.

"I said…"

Draco pouted and sighed.

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because WHY?"

Narcissa and Luna shot each other looks and started to edge towards the two, unsure of whether to intervene or back away from the brewing feud.

"Because I do not want you associating with people such as her!" Lucius replied through clenched teeth.

Draco's cheeks flamed red and Sirius barked to distract him, but it was to no avail. He could feel his heart drop inside his chest as he glanced at Luna, who seemed not to understand, and then back at Draco and Lucius who both seemed to be growing increasingly angry.

Sirius had a nasty suspicion that all hell was about to break loose.

* * *

And… another small cliffy. :) Hopefully that character was a bit of a surprise – and a pleasant one I hope. Glad that you're all reading. Reviews are much appreciated.

Now for the surprise: I have made an art for the first chapter! Huzzah!

Just google devianrtART and Sgath or (since I can't put URLs in here) type in sgath dot deviantart dot com. Check out the pic that's up there of Sirius and Draco ala Chapter One. :) I don't know about being particularly talented, but it's kinda cute.

And if you like that one… well, just leave a request in the review and mayhap I shall see what I can do.

Enjoy.


	7. The Problem with Luna

Huzzah! 'Tis chapter seven!

Now is when things start to become a little bit clearer to Draco. Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews – I hope you call continue to enjoy it. Hope you enjoyed the picture too. :) Might do another, might not, but I hope you all continue to enjoy.

So without further ado…

* * *

Draco simply couldn't understand it. His dad and mum pushed kids into being with him, making him play with them all them time when he didn't want to at all. Then, the minute he found someone he wanted to spend time around and his dad said he couldn't?

It made no sense! More than that, it made him angry.

"WHY? I don't want to say good bye to Luna!"

"Because I said you have to. You don't have to understand it Draco, just do it," Lucius muttered through clenched teeth. "And don't make a scene."

"But it's MY birthday!" Draco retorted, his voice getting louder. "And I want to spend time with her!"

"Oh just let him," Narcissa interjected. "Just this once."

Lucius glared at her.

"And create a wave of gossip, besmirching our name? No thank you." He turned back to Draco. "If you don't see that she leaves you will have no birthday," he vaguely threatened.

"SO?"

"You won't get your owl…"

Draco paused. He'd wanted an owl for a long time… But he also liked having someone around who listened to him.

"I DON'T CARE!" He screamed, revving into full tantrum mode. "I WANT HER TO STAY!"

"NO!" Lucius thundered and took a step towards him.

For one breathless moment, Narcissa was afraid that he was going to strike Draco in public. Even Luna stepped back, he eyes wider than normal. The tension was at the breaking point…

Sirius suddenly turned his head and began to bark frantically. People were shouting and the reason for the screams became apparent a few seconds later when all four of the humans turned to see a slithering mass heading towards them. The people around the were shouting and running as the zoo wizards were hastily firing off round after round of spells.

A flood of snakes – Draco thought it had to be just about every snake in the reptile house – and coming towards them at a rate that shouldn't have been possible. Distracted from the altercation at hand, Lucius started to walk briskly away and Narcissa was ushering Luna towards the gate.

Draco, however, remained fixed on his spot and Luna was watching him. Sirius tugged at his sleeve and barked until Lucius and Narcissa turned around. She gasped.

"Drakkie! What are you doing!" She left Luna, who was just as mesmerized, to run towards him.

"Draco!" Lucius scolded, hurrying back. "Come on, boy…"

Before they could reach him, Draco passed out and though Sirius barked and nipped furiously the snakes arrived to quickly. They bit at all of them, but Draco was already on the ground and didn't know any magic anyway to keep them away. Lucius and Narcissa withdrew their wands and went into action, but there were so many of them and they kept coming and coming…

Lucius got the ones nearest to his son's body, then picked Draco up and handed him to Narcissa who took Luna's hand and apparated them to the zoo medical center. The zoo attendants caught up to Lucius and Sirius soon enough and started stunning them hastily.

"What on earth happened?" The elder Malfoy demanded.

"We don't know sir," replied a breathless attendant. "Out of control magic I suppose. I mean, we've got guards against this type of thing. It must have been an unusually strong wave of magic… It just set them all free! Can't figure it out… All the cages are closed and secure, everything is in place. They're just outside." He panted, trying to get the last of them. "I'm terribly sorry about this…"

"As well you should be," Lucius replied icily, though he suspected he knew the source of the accident.

* * *

Draco woke up in the zoo's medical center with his mother and Luna next to him.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Snakes," Luna replied simply in her distant way.

"Oh. Yeah."

"Oh Draco," Narcissa breathed. "I'm so glad that you're OK. They said that you weren't bitten by anything _too_ venomous and we got you treatment right away but oh…"

Draco gave them a small smile.

"Some birthday." He sighed. "I'm really beginning to hate snakes… and I didn't even get to see the hippogriffs."

"Or the nargles," Luna added.

He nodded.

"Those either." He looked up at his mother. "Mum? Where's Dragon?"

She sighed.

"They wouldn't let him in here. Questions of… sanitation." Seeing the look on his face, she hastily reassured him. "Don't worry. I tried to persuade them but the Healer just wouldn't listen. Don't worry, he's with Lucius. You're father will certainly sort this out… Imagine something like this happening! Why you could have _died_!"

Draco shifted uneasily.

"Can I get out soon?"

Narcissa nodded.

"We'll get you home and then you'll have a nice big birthday dinner and then you can open presents and we'll forget that this even happened."

"And Luna...?"

His mother shut her lips tightly, closed her eyes and shook her head 'no.' Draco sighed, expecting the response but still disappointed.

Luna nodded.

"Your father doesn't like me very much, does he?"

"Guess not." Worried that she might say more, he looked up at Narcissa. "Mum? Could you go get dad so we can leave?"

Giving Luna a worried glance, she paused but left. Draco looked at her.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's quite all right. Not many parents like me."

"Still… I like you."

She smiled.

"You're nice too. Friendly."

"Thanks… say, where do you live?"

"Lovegood Bungalow," she replied. "We have a fireplace. In the living room."

He smiled, happy that she understood.

"Thanks again. You better hurry before Mum gets back with my Dad… See you."

She meandered away and waved good-bye as she did so, floating out of the doorway and into the throng outside.

* * *

Nobody blamed him perse, so Draco didn't press the issue further with his parents that evening, but instead focused on enjoying the food and presents. He got his great owl, as expected, and stroked his wings, already finding himself to be exceedingly fond of the creature. He also received a few other gifts – clothing, a new broom that was nearly a regular, unregulated one, books on animals and statuettes of dragons that magically moved and shot out small bursts of false flame.

The next day, however, he took his owl – whom he'd named Artemis – out to hunt and turned to Sirius.

"Sirius," he sighed, "What happened? I mean… I liked Luna. She was a bit odd but… why couldn't I talk to her?"

The moment had come sooner than he'd expected but, as he changed into human form, Sirius reflected that it was probably inevitable.

"This… this was what I was talking about the other day when I said that your family and I had a falling out. I know you love your dad and mum but… sometimes they can be… Do you know what prejudiced is?"

He nodded.

"Kinda. Maybe. Explain it?"

"It's when you don't like somebody not because of who they are, but what they are. Like Muggles." An expression of distaste crossed his face. "See?"

"See what?"

"What do you think of muggles?"

"Stupid. Dumb. Useless."

"And do you actually know any muggles? Personally?"

"No…"

"That's prejudice," Sirius replied and Draco's cheeks flushed. "You don't know them. And maybe they can't do magic. But is that a reason to hate them? They might not be any wiser or stupider than any given wizard… but you automatically think they are. And you don't like them because of that."

Draco squirmed.

"But Luna's not a muggle! She's a witch. Or will be. Her dad's a wizard. She's magic!"

"Maybe so. But the same pretense still applies. Her father, as I recall, publishes a paper of, shall we say, low repute. Her family is not a long-standing pureblood one. This makes her worth less in your father's eyes."

"But she's nice!"

"How a person really _is_ doesn't matter if you _assume_ they are less valuable or lower than yourself without reason. That's why I broke off from my family…"

"You liked someone they didn't?"

He frowned.

"Sort of. I just… didn't buy the pureblooded thing."

"But pureblood is the best! No non-magic people taint the line!"

"That's not necessarily true. Magic is magic, Draco. Traits can show up in any family… a short family can suddenly produce a small child, a family of athletes could give birth to a musician… in my experience, Draco, ancestry has had relatively little to do with talent in comparison to talent and hard work."

Draco blushed.

"So is dad… bad?"

Sirius hesitated.

"He's… human. He was taught prejudices. He's held them for a very long time. I'm… I'm not going to say that I agree with him but I…"

Knowing he was a Death Eater, yet also knowing that Draco was his son, made Sirius' reply tremendously difficult. If he called his father evil, he could drive the boy away and even put himself in danger. If he didn't, it was like ignoring all of the wrong things he did.

"I can't judge him, Draco," he said finally, with a sigh. "People do good things and bad things… every body does. Me, you, your father, your friends… It's not up to me to call him anything.

I don't doubt that he loves you. But… _think_. Think before accepting prejudices. Listen to him but… think. And make a decision for you, Draco. Did you like telling Luna to go away?"

He shook his head.

"It felt mean."

"Listen to that feeling. Listen to your heart… and I think you'll turn out OK."

Artemis returned then, carrying a dead mouse in her beak. She swallowed it, and then glided over to Draco who ran his delicate fingers over her feathers.

"I guess… I guess maybe he could be wrong…" He paused thoughtfully. "Maybe I could meet a muggle some day… I don't know," he sighed.

He pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket along with a quill.

"I'll ask Luna about it," he said, scratching a message on the paper. "About muggles I mean. And… And I'll try not to prejudice anybody."

"Prejudge, Draco," he said, correcting his grammar with a light smile. "Prejudice is a noun. Prejudge is a verb."

He nodded as he tied the message on the owl's leg. He stood and sent her off into the air.

"Hurry!" He told her. "The sooner the better!" He turned to Sirius and kicked some leaves. "I'm sorry that I… I didn't mean to be… I mean…"

He patted Draco on the shoulder.

"It's OK. You're young. But you can still decide some things on your own. See what's around you beyond the mansion before assuming anything. That's all I ask."

Draco gave him a smile.

"I think I can do that." He lay back down on the leaves and watched a chipmunk running about. "I'm also sorry that…"

"That what?"

"You miss Harry don't you?"

Sirius had explained to Draco about Harry and ever since he had, Draco had been curious about the boy-who-lived as a small child. He also could tell that Sirius missed him deeply. It upset him that he was 'keeping' Sirius when there was a place he'd rather be; yet he couldn't keep from wishing that Sirius would stay with him.

"I do, but I just don't see how it could work… if I leave, your parents might suspect something and anyway I don't know how I'd track him down and explain and get him away without him getting hysterical or something… And I don't know what I would do once I had him. Maybe I could just see him… but I'm afraid that if I do, it won't be enough.

I might do something… rash."

Draco twisted a leaf in his hands.

"Well, maybe we could think of something… I mean, you were a Marauder, right?"

Sirius smiled faintly.

"I suppose so."

"Well then you can think of anything!" Draco turned around onto his stomach. "Could you tell me another story about then?" Ever since he'd been told of the map and the friends who played pranks, he'd enjoyed hearing tales of their exploits. He still hadn't been told of the reason behind their animagi forms or of Moony's lycanthropy, but Sirius figured that it could wait.

He smiled at Draco.

"Well, there was this one time we had Potions, with a teacher named Slughorn, and this girl – Lily her name was – was always such a favorite of his. Nothing she did in potions was wrong. So one day in 6th year when we were supposed to make a potion to relieve hiccups…"

Draco half-listened to Sirius' story about slipping in a bit of this and that, making the unfortunate girl cough up snails for several hours after the testing. He laughed at all the right spots, but in the back of his mind he was working on a plan. More than anything, he wanted to be adventurous, like Sirius and his friends, and he wanted 'his Dragon' to be happy.

If only he could work out a plan – a good plan, a plan worthy of the original Marauders – maybe he could do both at the same time.

* * *

And another touch of cliffy. :) Comments please – all are appreciated! Thanks. They're how any author gets better. So go right ahead – be honest but polite – and tell me what you think of the story so far.

See you next chapter!


	8. Lucius' Talk and Mr Padfoot's Post

Sorry that this chapter is a bit late – I've been in the process of moving.

I'm sure you've all waited enough (unless you're reading this for this first time) so I won't take up any more time.

Enjoy.

Oh, and in case you want to know, time has skipped ahead to early October. A few months.

* * *

Draco Malfoy could be quite patient when he wanted to be. This skill had been honed due to the fact that, for some inexplicable reason, his brain always seemed to work best right before it was about to shut down. Lying on his bed in the darkness, ideas tended to come to him. And now matter how much he wanted to act on them – or at the very least to tell them to Sirius – he was made painfully aware that nighttime was neither the time nor the place.

After all, bedtime for him was not bedtime for Lucius or Narcissa or any of the house elves, and who knew what might happen if anybody heard him talking to the dog in specifics or, worse yet, referring to him as Sirius? He thought about whispering but would bite his tongue, paranoid until they were out in the woods alone, where nobody ever went.

Sirius was usually asleep anyway. And he slept like the dead.

Such was the case when, waking up from a restless sleep in the middle of the night, he came up with an absolutely wonderful idea to make Sirius – and therefore himself – much happier. He heard the dog breathing softly beside him and shifted beneath the covers. Even Artemis was asleep in his cage.

He sighed as he squirmed, anxious to share the details of his plan. Forcing himself to place his head on his green and silver pillow, he closed his eyes and tried to drift off once more. They snapped open almost immediately and started to adjust, until his room was no longer pitch black but an odd amalgam of shadowy shapes.

Throwing the covers off, he got up and paced. The room suddenly felt too small. He thought about sending for the house elves for a glass of water but immediately felt bad. It was, after all, the middle of the night, and they needed sleep too. He hadn't even noticed until Sirius pointed it out how very harried some of them looked.

The least he could do was get his own glass of water.

Quietly pushing the door open, he made his way downstairs towards the kitchen. He had just come off the last step and was starting to cross the foyer when a light flooded out from the nearby drawing room. Suddenly panicked, though not sure why, he dashed behind a rather large vase and crouched down in its shadow.

He could hear footsteps, a voice belonging to his father and another voice he could not recognize.

"You came here in the middle of the night to tell me _that_?"

"Lucius… of all people… I thought you would be sympathetic…"

"We cannot afford to be."

"But she is your wife's…

"No! And that is my final word on the subject." He paused. "We've come so far. We cannot throw it away for one already lost."

"But she might not…"

Draco felt a little cold and a little bit worried. Who were they talking about?

"That is immaterial. We had to disavow her to stay out ourselves… how would it look if we were even implicated? I must refuse."

"You traitor…"

Lucius voice suddenly grew cold and Draco swore the air reflected the change.

"Hardly. My sentiments are the same. I merely am more intelligent and find that carrying on is easier to do outside of a filthy stone cage."

"As you say."

The man apparated away and there was a long pause that followed. Draco's heart was beating so fast that he felt sure his father could hear it. He seemed right, for after a moment his father addressed him.

"Draco, you may come out."

He shuffled out from behind the vase, looking sheepish.

"How did you…"

"The second to last step squeaks and my ears are very keen," he said with a slightly twisted smiled. "Now what are you doing about at all hours of the night?"

He scuffed his pajama feet on the carpet – he always loved wearing footies in colder weather and these were his favorites. They had owls on them.

"Drink," he murmured. "Dad, what were…"

Lucius sighed and took Draco by the hand.

"Come along son. I think we need to have a talk."

He took Draco into the kitchen and used his wand to produce a cup of water for the boy.

"Draco," he began in a heavy tone, "I know that you are still young, but you are growing. You are old enough to do many things – read, ride a broom, even do a bit of accidental magic," he said with a faint smile that Draco returned. "And therefore you are old enough to begin to understand.

You will hear many things as you get older and go out into our world about the wizard… You-Know-Who. And his supporters. Some of who you are related to, in fact.

Understand Draco that we, your parents, were cleared of all crimes. But this does not mean we side with Muggle-lovers, like that idiot Dumbledore," he frowned. "Do not say speak words that make you or your family look bad. And understand Draco – sometimes people say things, must say them even if they don't mean them, to stay safe.

But inside you can believe something else.

You are pureblooded Draco, for many generations back. That is a source of strength… a source of pride. Some will try to make you think otherwise. But they are not your equals. You have a heritage… a lineage. Magic begets magic and impurities taint it. The best and the brightest… are the purest.

Our world does not always realize this. The influence of Mudbloods and half-breeds has permeated it, making the wizarding world forget its strength. Let them say what they will Draco. But know that you were born for better… _show_ them you are so.

And then without having to speak you will strength a cause which cannot now be fought for openly."

Draco finished his drink and set the cup down, feeling worried. Impurities tainted magic… this was not what Sirius said. The talk of fighting and purity and causes chilled him inside. There was a shadow hiding behind those words, a shadow which moved across his father's face and obscured him…

The moment passed and he yawned. Lucius smiled fondly.

"That was a bit long winded, wasn't it Draco?" He said with a smile. "Let's get you to bed."

He produced a wand and with a wave floated Draco up the steps. Draco laughed at the familiar game, one they had played since he was very young. He floundered in the air and pretended to fly like a bird while his father walked behind him, never allowing him to drop.

Draco thought about that briefly as Lucius magically pushed open the door and plopped Draco onto the mattress before pulling up the covers over him and tousling his hair.

His father had never let him fall. Not even once.

* * *

The light of the new day drove the strange conversations of the previous night out of his mind. Draco rubbed his eyes when, suddenly, the ponderings he'd had struck him once more. He dashed about, getting clean, throwing clothes on and eating breakfast. The sooner he was ready, the sooner he could talk to Sirius.

Sirius sensed his eagerness and ran along with him as they dashed out to the woods with Artemis flying above them. Once they were safely behind a clump of trees, Draco wheeled about as Sirius changed into human form.

"Sirius!" He cried in a muted tone. "I know how you can contact Harry!"

Sirius' face betrayed an element of mild surprise. He chuckled outwardly, but inwardly hoped that the boy's idea would be actually workable.

"Oh? What's that?"

"Well…" Draco began carefully. "It would be really hard to do it in person. Somebody might see you as a person or take you away as a stray and Mum and Dad would wonder where you got to. But there might be a way…" His voice started to rise as he grew progressively more excited. "See, I was thinking of the letter I got from Luna the other day."

Sirius nodded. Despite his father's ire, Draco had Artemis sneaking correspondences back and forth.

"And when you told me about the map I thought it was an awfully good idea – using a different name, you know, so that if somebody found the Map or a note or something they wouldn't know it was you. Nobody would know except the people you told and stuff. And so we've been using it."

He nodded, amused, and making a note to find out later what the names they were using might be.

"And so if you sent a note like that – well. Nobody would know it was you, right? And if we used my owl, they couldn't trace it back to you either!"

Sirius paused – the idea wasn't half bad.

"But…" he said as he thought of possible flaws, "What would I tell Harry? Besides, his aunt and uncle hate magic. And they're the only ones I know who could have him… They wouldn't give him an owl-post."

Draco nodded.

"Thought of it. Artemis can get it there directly – he's sneaky when he needs to be," he said proudly and Sirius reflected that perhaps some Slytherin qualities were – slightly – admirable. "And Harry… tell him… like… it's a secret. You know. A secret admirer. Or imaginary friend."

"An imaginary friend… who actually writes… you know, that might not be a bad idea…" He broke into a smile. "Draco, I do believe that's a marvelous bit of thinking you've done there."

The boy flushed with pride.

"And now…" Sirius continued, bemused. "What's this about you and Luna having 'names?'"

Draco sighed.

"Didn't want Dad finding out. And they're not names as much as… pictures…"

Sirius nodded. They were both young and not particularly adept at writing. While Draco could manage fairly well, he'd seen one or two of Luna's letters and they were sometimes transposed. Dubious spellings were employed on both ends.

"And what do you two draw?"

"She draws a radish. I draw a snitch."

Sirius nodded.

"Interesting. For now. Though," he smiled mischievously, "You might want to think of a better moniker if you ever make a Marauder's Map."

"Moni… who?"

"Moniker. Fake name."

"Oh. Well… here's some paper…"

Sirius took the quill and paper from him and began to write while Draco petted Artemis and looked at the pictures in his favorite animal book. Thirty minutes and a carefully written letter later saw Artemis vanish into the horizon and Draco come home along with Dragon, absolutely filthy from a detour through the fen to the west of the woods, much to his mother's dismay.

"Draco," she sighed, "You are always such a mess!" She pushed him gently into the bathroom. "Whatever shall I do with you?"

* * *

Artemis was a hardworking owl who did not mind following Draco's instructions, explicit though they might be. Which was why there were no hoots of complaint when he found himself waiting in a chimney. Which was why he did not mind having to peck at a door for three straight hours until it opened up. Which was why he allowed himself to be poked and prodded by the scrawny, black-haired figure within without fussing.

Draco had asked him to go, warned him not to be seen and requested that he please come back with a response. Artemis, being a good and loyal owl, was more than ready to comply. Not because he had a master who had given him an order, but because it was Draco who asked.

Harry Potter, who had never gotten a bit of post in his life, stared at the bit of parchment as though it was a dream.

_Dear Harry Potter,_

_Hello! I know you must be surprised. Don't worry. I am a friend. I have known you a long time Harry Potter. I knew your mommy and daddy and cared for them. I want the best for you too._

_I would like you to be friends with me. But you must not tell your aunt and uncle. I am a secret friend – tell no one. _

_I will tell you about myself. I am tall and dashing but also clever. I like to play tricks sometimes. Do you play any? I'm sure you are a clever boy and bet you could. Write and tell me about yourself!_

_You may ask me any question you like and I will do my best to answer. _

_But always remember – we are a secret._

_Yours truly,_

_Mr. Padfoot._

Harry stared at the paper for a long, long time. The name sounded familiar. And even having an owl pecking at his door seemed, for some reason, not altogether unexpected. He was sure that if he said anything about it to his aunt or uncle, the letter would be taken away and he would be punished – probably painfully.

"Do I write then give it to you?" Artemis hooted a soft affirmation.

Harry found a broken crayon from beneath a pile of rumpled clothing and began to write on the back of 'Mr. Padfoot's' note.

* * *

And that's all for now. Leaving you hanging once again.

Oh, and just in case anybody wanted to know – there are NO definite 'ships' yet. Everything is still up in the air and I'm not even sure there will be pairings. It's all just friendships for now.


	9. The Boy Who Could See Thestrals

Sorry that I've been taking so long. Now that school is back in I've found myself with much less time to devote to writing. Nevertheless – I'll do my best.

I'm really glad that so many seem to like this fic, though – up to 52 favs and 46 alerts:) And 2 C2s! You guys are great. :heart:

As an added note, there has been a small jump ahead. About a month or so.

Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Draco was trying to focus on the lesson in math that Dobby was attempting to instruct him in, but his attention was being continually diverted by Dragon's incessant pacing back and forth across the floor. Artemis had gone back and forth with letters from and for Sirius about three times now and all of the letters seemed to indicate that something was definitely askew regarding Harry Potter's circumstances.

Each letter agitated Sirius further and Draco was afraid that he would soon do something rash.

Not that he wasn't modestly upset himself. Sirius shared the letters with him and he was angry at the Muggles that were keeping him. However, he also knew that there was no way to explain how he knew about Harry without exposing Sirius, particularly since Sirius was the one writing and signing the letters. Not that Sirius would listen to reason if he grew sufficiently agitated.

Internally the boy sighed. He had that to worry about as well…

"And so what if you have three Galleons and five Sickles, how many Knuts would you have?" Dobby asked him for the second time.

This time Draco heard him and snapped his head up.

"What? Oh. Easy. The Goblin Rebellion of 1534."

"Master Draco!" Dobby wailed.

He laughed.

"Only kidding," he assured the house elf before focusing his attention on the lesson.

Dobby left a couple hours later, feeling more assured than he had initially that Draco was coming along well. Draco breathed a sigh of relief and escaped once more with Sirius as he always did. Artemis followed and Draco carried along a couple scrolls and quills, along with a quantity of pencils and a couple pads of paper. One safely in the trees, Sirius turned back.

He crossed his arms and glared at the sky, his face dark and brooding.

"Sirius, I know you're upset…"

"They aren't _feeding_ him!"

"But don't do something stupid…"

"They dress him in _hand-me-downs_!"

"You'll get caught…"

"I can't sit here and do nothing!" Sirius snapped and Draco frowned.

"Then we'll think of something. But calm down first." He arranged the supplies he'd brought with him and started to sketch. "Or you might make things worse."

Sirius' face twisted and his hands were clenched.

"_They're abusing him!"_ His voice was cold with fury. "He tells me about how I'm his only friend and how everything he gets is broken, how his cousin pushes him around, how he has to work all the time… He's just a child!"

Draco sighed.

"We'll think of something," he reiterated. As Sirius sat down with an agitated sound, Draco started to sketch some of the surrounding plants. "Have you thought up a new letter to send?"

Sirius shook his head.

"No… I'm trying to think of something I can tell him that might lift his spirits. It's almost Christmas and I don't want to lie to the boy… but it'd be nice to give him good news and maybe a little something as a present."

Draco nodded.

"And what about Luna?" Asked Sirius. "Have you heard from her much?"

Penciling in a few more lines, Draco then set down the sketches and brought out a small stack of letters. He grinned.

"Yeah, she's been telling me about her dad and his work. He edits 'The Quibbler' so he does more with magic. But she says he's met Muggles on occasion. They even have some Muggle stuff at their house. She doesn't know what it's for…"

"But I'll be you're curious," Sirius said with a small smile, some of his humor returned.

Draco looked over the letters.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I am a bit. I'd just like to see."

"Anything in particular you're curious about?"

The boy started to work on shading a tree. "She was telling about something called a TV and a VCR… like paintings, kind, or pictures but with sound and they show the same things. And Muggles make them."

Sirius nodded.

"Ah… movies. Yes, those were quite interesting, the first time I saw them."

"They sound neat." He began scratching with a quill. "I want to know more about them I think."

He wrote her another letter then sent Artemis away with it once again. Then for another two hours they discussed the letters they'd received, looking over some of them and worrying about Harry, musing about what they could get him that his Aunt and Uncle wouldn't find out about.

Suddenly, Draco shivered. It had gotten cold and he wasn't exactly prepared – neither was Sirius for that matter.

"We'd better get back," he said morosely. "Besides, my father invited someone else over for this evening," he sighed.

Sirius patted him sympathetically. "Who?"

"Oh, it's not so bad," Draco said with a shrug. "Just Nott. Could be worse. But still, we'd better get back."

In a moment, Sirius changed form and they started the long walk back.

* * *

When they finally arrived, Lucius was waiting.

"Hurry up Draco," he instructed. "Your guest will be here soon."

"I know, I know…"

He dashed up the stairs and put the letters away, trying to shift things around and make them as neat as possible. Dobby suddenly appeared and helped with the job, so they were done in plenty of time before Nott came. Draco even had time to bathe and change clothes so that when the boy and his father did finally arrive, Draco was waiting quietly on the bed for his father to call him down.

"Draco!" He heard a voice.

"Coming father!" he called back. Then he looked down at Sirius in dog form. "Come on Dragon, we'd better get going."

They went down the stairs and saw a stringy, dark haired boy waiting next to his father. Lucius was with them and smiled when Draco came down the steps. He went over to him and gently pushed him towards the other boy.

"Draco, why don't you and Theodore run along? Mr. Nott and I have many things to discuss… I'm sure you two can find something to do together, right?" He suggested conversationally.

Draco nodded and the boys left up the stairs.

Once they were gone, Mr. Nott sighed.

"Thank you Lucius. It's good for him to get out like this. Ever since his mother's passing he's been so… sullen. Quiet."

"Quite alright. Draco's rather quiet too – being out here can be isolating for a child."

"Well I suppose that will be over in, what… five years? Hogwarts is rather large…"

"Perhaps," Lucius responded in a slightly chilly tone. Nott, however, picked up on it.

"Ah. So you're still considering sending him to Durmstrang?"

"Yes. I believe his practical education would be better there. Not to mention a… how shall we say… lack of exposure to undesirable ideas. There is no need to subject him to the whims of that fool Dumbledore."

"I suppose. Still… Hogwarts is much closer and in many ways looked upon more favorably."

"True. And that's Narcissa's argument. She doesn't want him so far away." He sighed. "Well, we still have several years to consider. Let's not waste any more time. Shall we?"

"Indeed."

* * *

"So."

"So."

Draco shifted uncomfortably and gave a small cough. He really did loathe having to do this.

"What do you want to do?" Draco asked him nervously.

Theodore shrugged.

"Anything you'd like," he remarked indifferently. "We could read again."

Draco shook his head.

"My dad thinks we should do something more… social."

"Oh."

An awkward silence grew between the two since neither was particularly inclined towards any sort of behavior. Draco wanted to be out in the woods, drawing again, and Theodore privately wished he was back home in his father's shadowy and silent library. At length, Theo cleared his throat.

"Do you have a wizard's chess? Perhaps we could play a few games of that."

The other boy smiled.

"Sure! OK! I'll go and get it."

He went and pulled a chair over to a large closet at one end of the room and opened up the doors before situating the chair in front of it. Standing on the cushion, he reached towards the top shelf and pulled down a large, smooth and dusty wooden box, shut with a heavy clasp and decorated with beautiful inlay. He brought it over to the table where Theo had already sat down, brushed off the dust and opened it up.

Inside were two sets of figures, one made of silver and the other of gold, which when he set down the marble board hastily jumped up and arranged themselves in their proper positions. Draco willingly allowed Theodore to take the gold set – the 'white' players – and kept the silver for himself.

Theodore smiled slightly as he fingered the set before picking up the queenside pawn and moving it forward two spaces. Draco then realized with a measure of trepidation that he wasn't even entirely sure of how the pieces were supposed to move.

Thus it was that Theodore spent most of the first game explaining the practicalities and then went on to beat him in the next seven. Finding his king surrounded for the eighth time, Draco threw up his arms up in frustration.

"OK, that's it, I give up!" He sighed. "I can't play. You're, like… the best player. Ever."

Theodore laughed.

"Hardly. You're just new. So it's no wonder that you're bad at it. And I'm not the best player. A few of father's associates can beat me."

Draco rolled his eyes, noting that – not unlike Luna – Nott had a knack for being candid about his opinions. "Big deal. Bet that no kids can. You must spend a lot of time practicing."

The other boy shrugged as the pieces settled themselves back into the case. He snapped it shut.

"I suppose I do. Not that there's much else to do except read."

"Doesn't that get boring?"

"Not if you enjoy it."

Draco paused for a moment. Then he smiled.

"Say, since we're done with this, want to go outside? I can show you around!"

Nott nodded in affirmation.

"That would be acceptable."

* * *

They were walking across the large lawn, back towards the stables and beyond them the woods. Draco was humming to himself lightly, enjoying his chance to get out once more into the sunshine. Theodore was walking slightly behind him, stepping carefully, and Dragon was flanking them.

"There are our woods… they go back quite a ways. There's also a pond and a fen where the pond started to fill in I suppose. There are lots of interesting creatures and wand trees in there. Those are our stables," he said pointing. "Where we have our horses including a few winged ones. I can't ride them yet but Dad says that…"

Suddenly he felt Theodore grab his arm.

"What's that!" The boy swallowed, clearly nervous, pointing at a point behind the stable.

Draco turned and saw him paling.

"Um…" He looked out. "I think it's just a dead rabbit, Theo."

"NO!" He snapped. "The thing eating it! That's not one of the horses is it?" He grew quiet. "It's looking at us Draco…"

"I don't see anythi…" He trailed off. "Theo," he asked in a low tone, "Have you ever seen somebody die?"

He nodded numbly.

"My mum," he whispered.

"It's a thestral…" Draco said in a hushed voice that was half way between awe and terror. "They can't be seen usually, unless you've seen death… They're really fascinating too, great senses of direction…"

"Draco, it's walking _this way_!" Theodore's tone became more panicked.

Draco, however, wrested his arm from Theodore's grasp and wandered towards where the boy had been pointing.

"I didn't say walk towards it! I said that it's walking towards US!" He hissed towards Draco, trying to raise his voice so that the boy would hear him but afraid of causing the thestral to come closer.

He debated about what to do for a second then ran up to Draco and tried to drag him away. The boy's grey eyes were distant and misty. Theodore pulled on him, but he refused to budge. Dragon had followed suit and was tugging at the base of his robe, but also to no avail.

"What is wrong with you! Even your dog knows it time to go… it's getting closer… Draco we should really… AHHH!"

Theodore stumbled back as he saw the black horse suddenly break into a run and come up just short of where Draco was standing. He saw the beast lower its head and look down at the much smaller child.

Draco extended his hand and petted the horse's unseen muzzle. Theodore was sweating and wondering if the other boy was crazy. Dragon had ceased to tug and was oddly still.

"He's not going to hurt you Theo." Draco smiled. "See? He's friendly."

Theodore swallowed.

"How would you know? You can't even see it… you don't know what it looks like!"

He paused.

"You don't see him biting my hand, do you?" He petted the horse's neck and followed the touch to the thestral's bony withers. "Come on," he said in an excited tone. "Let's ride him."

"Wha.. RIDE? Draco! You want to ride something _invisible_?" Theodore was incredulous, forgetting his fear for a moment.

Draco shrugged.

"I can still touch him, can't I?" He felt upwards and grabbed the thestral's mane. The thestral bent and Draco managed to clamber up, holding tightly onto the mane so that he wouldn't fall. "Are you coming?"

Theodore's eyes were as wide as they had ever been. After all, it was bad enough seeing one of the horrible, skeletal things, but riding it? Out of the question. Well behaved and highly bred children simply did not do things like that. They rode brooms or apparated. They did not ride hideous, black, malnourished harbingers of death and misfortune.

Given this attitude, he was shocked to find himself walking carefully closer to the animal. He wanted to say no… but the look of Draco's eyes, gazing at him evenly yet intensely…

"You… are a terrible influence." He said as he took the hand that Draco extended.

At least, he thought with some measure of comfort, I can see what's beneath me.

Then, without warning, Draco nudged the thestral into a canter, then a gallop. With a flap of its wings, it suddenly took the air and Theodore gasped, cluthching Draco's robe as tightly as he could.

"This is wonderful!" Draco breathed, turning the thestral into a circle.

"We're going to die…" Nott replied, looking at the ground below where Dragon was watching them. He seemed terribly small.

"Tywyll wouldn't let you drop, would you?"

"You've NAMED him?" Theodore shouted.

Draco grinned and laughed spurring the horse on faster. Theodore shut his eyes, unable to relax. At last Draco, partly because of Theo's discomfort but also because the sun was starting to set, took the horse down.

He slid off Tywyll back then helped Theodore.

"That was fun, was't it?"

Nott snorted and brushed himself off, glad to be back on solid ground.

Draco petted the thestral again.

"Wow… And since they know where they're going I could go anywhere… Ottery St. Catchpole or even where Ha…" He suddenly caught himself and cut off as Nott looked at him curiously.

"Ottery St. Catchpole? What's there? And what were you going to say?"

"Nothing," Draco replied lamely. "Just thinking."

Theodore didn't reply but studied him curiously for a moment. At length he responded.

"You know an awful lot about animals."

He shrugged. "I like them."

Nott caught his breath and straightened himself up, not sure of what to do next. The awkward silence was broken again by a hoot.

"Artemis is back!" Draco exclaimed, running to meet his owl.

He untied the letter, clearly in Luna's handwriting, and shoved it into his robes before Theodore could come over. The boy noticed this and gave Draco a not-altogether unkind smirk.

"Let me guess… the owls coming back from Ottery St. Catchpole?" He asked in a bemused tone.

Draco, inexplicably to Theodore, flushed.

"It's not you're business where he's been," he said haughtily. Then he softened his tone. "It's my letter. " He paused. "Are you… coming back?"

Theodore shrugged.

"I don't know. I suppose if father wants me to. Why?"

"Well… if you're not here… I won't know if Tywyll's around."

"You think he's going to _stay_?" Theodore looked around at the thestral who was walking back towards the rabbit corpse.

"Yes," Draco replied simply.

Nott rolled his eyes.

"You're mad. Completely barking. Come on." He turned towards the Manor. "We'd better get back."

Draco nodded and they ran back towards the mason, Dragon close by, to where Nott's father was waiting.

"Come, Theodore." He said as Lucius opened the door for him and then went inside to Floo back.

Draco followed them in. Just as they reached the fire, Theodore looked up at the elder Nott.

"Father? Do you suppose I could come back here soon?"

There was a curt nod.

"If Mr. Malfoy permits it, I see no reason not to."

"Yes, of course!" Lucius hastily agreed. "You are welcome in our home any time."

The two then left and Lucius smiled at Draco.

"See? Socializing isn't so hard. Did you have fun?"

Draco paused then smiled.

"Absolutely."

His father nodded approvingly.

"Good. Now see that you get a good night's sleep. I don't want you staying up too late. Your mother is taking you shopping tomorrow for the holidays, remember?"

Draco nodded grimly.

"Yes…"

Lucius clapped him on the shoulder sympathetically.

"I know. Be strong. I'll be with you… some of the time. Just remember – holiday sales don't last forever. It will all be over soon enough. And… try to keep her away from the shoes, alright?"

Draco nodded.

"I'll do my best, father."

Lucius smiled.

"Good man."

With that, Draco ran off to his room, eager to read his letter in private.

* * *

Once the door was closed, he took the letter out.

"Hey!" He gasped scanning the letter. "Luna says they're going shopping tomorrow too and her dad got some new muggle stuff and that they're going on a trip in the new year. Sounds like fun," he sighed. "Wish we could go on a trip…"

He paused then folded the letter back up.

"You know…" He looked at Dragon directly and lowered his voice. "Artemis could probably bring packages frequently. Like _food_," he said significantly.

Dragon barked.

They might not be able to rescue Harry…

But perhaps they could at least make his situation not quite as bad.

* * *

"You know," Lucius told his wife as she got in their bed, "I really think Draco's coming along. He socialized with Nott's boy all afternoon and they both seemed like they had fun. Wanted to come over again."

She smiled.

"Oh that's wonderful! He's finally making friends with out sort. Have you told him yet?"

"About?"

"You know… your idea… A second honeymoon during the holidays… get away during the cold weather… _alone_?"

Lucius coughed.

"I was rather hoping you could do that. You know, tomorrow maybe. Perhaps over lunch."

She sighed.

"Oh, very well." Then she smiled. "Afraid to tell your son you're abandoning him at Christmas?"

"Come now," he said, kissing her before extinguishing the light. "He'll probably have a better time than we will."

"And what is _that _supposed to mean, mister? You think I can't show you a good time?"

"Maybe... why don't we put that idea to the test?" He asked micheviously and invitingly.

She laughed and then rolled over and went to sleep.

Lucius hmphed, ever so slightly put off.

* * *

And that's all for now. New chapter soon. And remember to review if you would. :) Thanks. 


	10. Events in the Night

Here it is – a new chapter, hot off the presses and in a much more timely fashion than the last time. And I know about Draco's characterization… I have trouble doing kids, but am doing the best I can and will hopefully improve a time goes on. Though thanks to all who pointed that out; if I ever revise this or write another story I'll watch out for that.

Enjoy.

* * *

Harry Potter began living in two worlds around the time he was six years old. The first was the world of daylight, where his cousin poked him and pushed him, where his uncle constantly yelled at him and where his aunt resented him and acted as though he was always underfoot. He was awkward and shabby at primary school and nobody really seemed interested in him. He wore Dudley's clothes and peered out through black rimmed glasses – basically, he was a recipe for mockery. 

The second world was the world at night. Sometimes he didn't believe it was real, mostly because there was so little of it left. He got mysterious letters, but he could not keep them. All he could do was read them and remember them as best he could. He needed the paper to write replies on and even if he could have kept them his aunt would probably have found out if he had. It wasn't that big of a problem; he was used to not having anything of his own.

He didn't know how the bird entered, but every few days this new, strange, twilight existence was brought on by the appearance of the owl. The bird brought letters full of kind words and encouragement, written in a hand that was warm and pleasing, even if he couldn't understand all of the words. Mr. Padfoot, his secret, special friend, told him that he had to be quiet about it but that he was a special child and one day he would leave this awful place and be free of it. Mr. Padfoot told him that he was loved and that people cared about him. Mr. Padfoot said a great many things that made him feel warm and cozy inside and that, when recalled in the daylight hours, were enough to help him go forward.

The bird also brought gifts of a more tangible sort. Food came, wrapped up in cloth, just enough to eat in one sitting so that the owl could take back the wrappers with him. Harry was so hungry that he didn't even leave crumbs for his aunt to find. And so, afraid of what might happen, afraid that speaking of it would make his midnight world shatter and go away, Harry stumbled through his daylight hours, waiting for and being sustained by the magic that slipped into his life under the guide of darkness.

* * *

Draco had gone to sleep peacefully enough in his large bed housed in Malfoy Manner. He did, after all, need rest for the hard day of shopping ahead.

However, his night was suddenly and violently disturbed.

Narcissa heard him screaming and hurried into his room to see what the matter was. Dragon was licking Draco's faced as the boy sobbed and shivered beneath his covers. The silver-blond woman knelt by his bed, stroked his hair and wiped away his tears. She hugged him until he settled down and was quiet in her arms, still her little child.

"Shhhhh… shhhhh… its OK Drakkie, it's OK… everything's alright, Mummy's here… Did you have a nightmare, Drakkie?"

The boy looked at her with wide, bloodshot eyes and he trembled.

"Uh-hunh." He nodded.

She sat next to him on the bed then pulled him up onto her lap, and didn't even mind when Dragon came in closer.

"Do you want to tell Mummy what it was about?"

Draco gulped down several large breaths before starting.

"I was in this weird place. I don't know where it was. But there were all these doors and strange things. And I think there was a fight. People yelled. There was screaming. I couldn't move…" Tears slid down his cheeks. "And then there was this frame… and a curtain, but all raggedy… and everyone's screaming… and then… someone goes through it… and doesn't come out… I kept waiting and staring but the person never came back out…"

He broke down again and Narcissa hugged him and rubbed his back."

"It's alright, sweetie… it was a dream, only a dream… I've never even heard of such a place. Did you see who went through?"

Draco shook his head.

"It was dark an' blurry," he hiccupped. "But I just know, I just know, it was someone I love…"

She frowned.

"Nothing's happened. No one is hurt. I know it must have seemed very real to you, but everybody is safe. It wasn't real. It didn't happen. And it's not going to happen. Nobody's fighting.

It's OK."

Draco was weary from crying, though he couldn't say why the dream had been so distressing. It was nothing he could logically place, simply a wash of overwhelming emotion and worry that twisted up his insides. He leaned against his mother and she soothed him, whispering quiet reassurances until he fell asleep without even realizing it.

* * *

The following afternoon, Draco winced as his mother tried on her seventeenth pair of sandals – despite the fact that it was the middle of winter – and gave an approving smile before adding them to the growing stack of purchases. 

'Sorry, dad,' he thought apologetically.

He hadn't known that the boutique was right next to the broom store. Really.

Though he'd woken up uneasy because of his nightmare, the holiday cheer that was evident in the air served to brighten him up. Coupled with the distractions of store displays, new toys everywhere and crowds rushing about, he'd managed to drive it to the back of his mind. By midday, it was only a faded, vague and moderately uncomfortable memory.

His mother went to the front of the store and paid for her purchases before arranging to have them delivered at the Manor so that she wouldn't have to carry them around all day. She breezed airily past the other patrons milling about the store and motioned for Draco to follow her.

"Come along," she said. "It's time we got you new dress robes."

Inwardly, Draco groaned. Dress robes translated to lots of standing still and being poked with pins and ending up in an outfit that just made him look silly. The day was already beginning to drag and as they left the store his eyes roamed to the brooms he'd seen earlier. Their polished handles gleamed richly in the store window and he itched to try and fly one.

After the torture session they next went to a place full of glass ornaments and statues. Draco had to walk carefully so as not to break anything and he began to grow impatient. The crowds were moderately annoying and anyway he missed Sirius. Unable to take the stifling atmosphere of the shop any longer he ducked out of the watchful sight of his mother and into the streets outside.

He didn't want to go too far – he was somewhat unfamiliar with Diagon Alley. It was a big place and one could easily get lost, particularly if one was not accustomed to living in the city. He enjoyed the air and paced a little bit, then began to hop on the cobble stones, jumping from one to another in a kind of improvised game. Then, without warning, he felt himself bump into another person.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" He said as he spun around and he noticed something on the ground. "Here let me get that…"

A hand the size of his own reached for the book at the same time and he looked up at the other child in surprise.

"Nott?"

The other boy looked at him.

"Draco?"

Draco grinned.

"Hey! Nice to see you." He looked down at the book beneath their hands. "The… Nutcracker. The Nutcracker? What's that?"

Nott flushed and grabbed the book out from under his hands.

"Nothing."

"Oh come on. I just want to know what it is. Looks cool. What's it about?"

"Nothing!"

"Aw, come on…" Draco wheedled. "Can I see it?"

"No!" Nott started to walk away.

Draco ran up to him and tugged on his robe.

"Come on, it's just a book! Why won't you just show me?"

"Because!"

"Because why?"

"Look, just forget you saw it."

"But I did!"

"No you didn't."

"Is there something bad it in?" Draco frowned.

"Not… really…"

Suddenly, realizing that Nott's father wasn't around, something clicked. Draco came closer and whispered knowingly.

"Nott… is that a muggle book? It is, isn't it? You slipped out into London to buy a muggle book."

Nott grew slightly pale.

"You won't tell my father will you?" He bit his lip. "He wouldn't like it…"

Draco shook his head.

"Nah. But you will let me see it sometime, right?"

"Perhaps."

"Aw, come on!"

"Well… alright," Nott conceded. "If you come over some time. And only if you promise to take care of it."

"Promise."

Nott gave him a faint smile.

"I need to find my father."

"OK. Bye!" He smiled.

"Until the next time, Draco." He slipped off into the crowd, the book safely hidden in the folds of his robe.

Draco headed back to the storefront and waited a few minutes longer until his mother came out, presumably from having made purchases for the female members of the family as well as any women within their social circle who were deemed worthy of a gift during the season. She floated aloofly past the others in the store and over to her son, leading him to the spot where Lucius had arranged to meet them.

At the sight of his father, Draco ran over to him. Lucius took him by the hand and smile.

"How was it?"

Draco frowned.

"Not so good." He sighed. "I forgot about the store by the Quidditch Place…"

Lucius sighed and closed his eyes.

"Just give me the bad news quickly."

"Nine pairs of boots, four pairs of dress shoes, seven pairs of sandals and a pair of slippers."

"That's all?"

"For that store."

"Oh, wonderful," Lucius rolled his eyes. Then he smiled. "Well, I suppose she couldn't have done too much damage to the family Gringotts vault, right son?"

Draco grinned at him. No matter how much she spent, it probably wouldn't make much of a dent... they were, after all, the Malfoys.

"Nope."

"So, have you made any purchases yet?"

"No…" Draco replied carefully.

"Ah." Lucius smiled knowingly. "But I'm guessing that you have something in mind."

"Maybe…"

"I see. And would this something happen to be inside of Quality Quidditch Supplies?"

"Maybe…"

At that point, Narcissa walked up and sighed.

"What are you promising him this time, Lucius?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied with a wink. "Just that I think an early Christmas present might be nice."

She smiled.

"You spoil the boy."

"So do you," he smirked back. "Now, shall we go get that broomstick?"

Draco smiled.

"How'd you know it was a broomstick? Maybe I wanted… gloves. Or a beater."

"Every boy wants a broomstick. I was your age once too, you know… no matter how long ago that may seem."

"Can I get the new Nimbus?"

"I don't see why not."

"Alright!" Draco grinned excitedly and nearly dislocated his father's arm, pulling him to the shop.

* * *

Later that evening, after they had eaten out, returned home and Draco had shown off by flying around for his parents, Lucius took him aside. 

"Draco…"

"Yes?" Draco asked uneasily.

"Draco, I was wondering what you'd think if we left you alone for a while."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that… You see… Your mother and I were considering going on a second honeymoon. Well, we were planning on it. And we were wondering if you'd be OK with us leaving you for a while. About a month."

He tried not to smile to broadly.

"I _guess_ that would be OK…"

"Dobby will be keeping an eye on you, of course, and Mr. Nott said that you could come stay at his house whenever you wanted. If you were worried about being alone or anything. The house elves would see to all the upkeep…"

Draco's mind was racing at a million miles a second. A month… a whole month…

"Naturally, your mother and I are concerned about the last time… the snake incident… but I've double checked everything and put a few more wards out against dangerous specimens so there should be no trouble…"

He might be able to see Luna, or sneak out Sirius or do something with Harry…

"And after all, Dobby will be watching and he knows to contact Mr. Nott. And you could visit Theodore… You'd probably have fun staying there a bit…"

The possibilities were limitless.

"So you don't mind?"

"Well… If you want to. I'll be OK."

Lucius smiled.

"You're growing up… Ah, it happens so quickly. We'll owl you from where we're staying, OK? And if anything goes wrong, we're leaving the Floo locations – just call and we can come home. Alright?"

Draco nodded.

"Sure."

"Excellent. So – what do you say to a midnight snack?"

"Sounds good!"

He ate a cupcake with milk while his father had a glass of wine, and he silently pondered how best to go about things.

* * *

A few days after his aunt and uncle entertained yet _another _pair of industry executives, Harry Potter got a letter of a sort he'd never gotten before. This one was written in a larger, more childish handwriting. 

He examined it.

_Hullo Harry. I am a friend of Mr. Padfoot's and I want to know you too. I am your age and like sports, animals and aven... adin... advin.. adventures. I have heard about you and think you're neat. I hope you'll write back to me too._

_- Eltanin_

Another boy might have thought the whole situation odd or unsettling. But for a boy cut off from human contact, who faced mockery daily, who had to work even while young and got no love from his 'family,' it was a wonderful thing to imagine having friends out in the dark, somewhere, who cared. He wasn't even suspicious; he simply felt glad that he wasn't alone.

It was lovely even if he never got to see them.

Though, he reflected as he handed Artemis back his response, he wished he could. To know them face it face…

It would almost be too much. And after all, as his aunt and uncle constantly reminded him, good things just didn't happen (or at any rate not often) to boys like him.

* * *

And a cookie to anyone who gets Draco's moniker without having to look it up. :) Note: Edited thanks to I-Confuse-Everyone pointing out that I mention Thanksgiving being a stupid American here and forgetting that it's not celebrated elsewhere. I'm usually good about that stuff... but it slipped by me this time. The problem, however, is now fixed.

Hope you enjoyed. As always – reviews, long and thoughtful if you would.


	11. Muggle Amusements

:) First, a big thank you to all who have this on favorites or alert. I'm glad you like the story so much. And thanks to all who've reviewed so far – I really do appreciate the feedback.

And now, the chapter you clicked on the link for.

Enjoy.

* * *

* * *

The children and the adults who came to visit the Nott household often felt ill at ease around the child. He was all his father had left, a thin and quiet little boy, and while he was the last scion of his family many weren't so sure that this was a good thing. The boy was undoubtedly odd.

He had a strange look about his eyes, as though he could see right through people. Sometimes he would refrain from blinking for the space of several minutes and make whoever he was looking at shift nervously. He didn't speak to many people, and when he did his statements were short. It was out of character for him to speak more than a few spare sentences to anyone but his father.

Nott was a puzzlement to his father as well. Though they were not as rich as the Malfoys, the senior Nott could certainly afford luxuries for his son. However, Nott was a solitary boy who didn't seem interested in making mischief or riding broomsticks or playing with anything like other boys did. He wasn't very active and didn't enjoy going outdoors. He didn't seem interested in teasing girls or running around with the boys who visited.

The only pursuit Theodore seemed to enjoy was reading in the library. He would wake, then go there and read for hours. His father didn't know what to make of it and tried to monitor what precisely he was reading. Yet the boy read faster than he had the time to keep up and he found himself unaware by just how far the boy had progressed. He was surprised when he looked in on him one day to see him reading a hefty volume on the subject of magical theory.

"Do you understand that?" He asked his son.

"Yes," was the only response.

The elder Nott left it at that.

Theodore was indeed a quiet child, but not because he had nothing to say. Quite the opposite; he would have enjoyed making snide comments on many occasions but simply chose not to. He was of the opinion that silence was more valuable to him and while others merely thought he wasn't talking, he was in fact listening very, very well. He listened hard enough to develop the opinion that most people were careless, duplicitous fools. He didn't think much of his peers or ever his father's peers. They seemed thick and dull or snide or arrogant with no just cause. None seemed talented or clever.

Yet he never said anything to such people. They might have been stupid, but it did not do to make enemies. So he went on quietly through his days, staying alone in the vast library his father owned, going through the books one by one. They were on a great many subjects, from potion making to arithmancy. However, it wasn't until he was somewhat older that Theodore discovered fiction.

Mr. Nott did not enjoy reading for the sake of reading. Rather, he enjoyed it for the sake of preference and merely kept many of the volumes that had been passed down to him. His ancestors were of a like mind; the library was a practical one.

Then came a day when his father had decided to Floo with him to London to purchase some potion materials. Theodore, however, had accidentally landed elsewhere. He was only a short distance away; nevertheless, the distance had been great enough that, disoriented, he landed himself in Muggle London. A small child, he'd found himself quickly swept up into the crowd of shoppers out and about.

He had tried to get to the side and dashed into a nearby building to get out of the way and get his bearings. The only reasonably friendly looking one was a small place with books in the window and the name "Coreander's" above the door. He enjoyed books and decided that building would be as good as any.

Once inside the man behind the counter smiled and asked if he wanted to see the children's section. Nott didn't know what to say but nodded and was taken to a colorful place in the back. He picked up a book.

"The Little Prince," he mused out loud.

"You might like that one," the shopkeeper recommended.

That was the beginning of his interest in fiction as well as nonfiction. He knew that his father wouldn't be happy if he found him reading in a Muggle store. He quickly finished the book and made a note of where the place was. Then he went outside and waited until his father used a spell to find him and retrieved him, reprimanding him to Floo more carefully the next time.

Theodore nodded and thought of the warm shop with the friendly old man and the soft chairs and row after row of books.

He had to go back.

When he did, after changing his allowance at Gringotts bit by bit into Muggle money and making a space in his robe to smuggle the book out, he unexpectedly ran into Draco Malfoy. He had panicked, but later that night realized that he needn't have worried. For some inexplicable reason, Draco was sincere.

He wondered why, then drew the covers nearer and moved on to reading about the Drosselmeier and Princess Pirlipat.

* * *

* * *

Draco smiled and shoved things into a small knapsack. Then, finished with his brief packing, he went out into the woods so that he could converse with Sirius. Alone, the animagus changed form.

"Well, well, well. Nicely done," he complimented.

The boy grinned. He'd finally found a way to visit Luna. While he'd had a snack with his father, he stalled and his father, distracted, kept drinking. He'd waited until Lucius was slightly tipsy, and then asked for another early Christmas gift. His father said yes, but almost changed his mind when he heard that Draco wanted to visit Luna. He intended on saying no, but Draco begged and wheedled and pleaded and finally threatened to throw a fit.

Finally, he caved and said yes – on the condition that nobody else find out about the visit.

Draco agreed. And so it was that he found himself getting ready to spend a day in Ottery St. Catchpole with Luna Lovegood.

"Thanks," he told Sirius with a grin. "It's going to be so much fun!"

"It will be nice to see something other than the Manor," he remarked. "Did you get a response from Harry?"

"Yeah," Draco said, pulling out a letter from his robes and handing it to Sirius. "Artemis came this morning, while you were still sleeping. He likes the food."

Sirius nodded.

"But that Dudley boy is still tormenting him."

"Yeah…"

"I've got to do something soon, at some point Draco," he said.

"But…"

"But I can't let these people scar him. He's still young; but I don't know how much longer he can stand this…"

"I just…"

"I won't do anything rash. But if I get in trouble… don't you go getting yourself into it too. OK?"

Draco nodded glumly, unhappy that thoughts of their impossible situation had to color the expectant joy of the day.

Sirius finished the letter and pocketed it. Then with a nod, he changed back and the two set off for the house. The Lovegoods would be waiting for them to Floo over any minute.

* * *

* * *

Draco ran back with Dragon not far behind him. They went inside and found Lucius standing by the fireplace, waiting. Draco grabbed his pack then went up to his father.

"I'm ready!"

Lucius looked at him sternly.

"Remember what I told you. Tell no one about this. And behave yourself."

Draco nodded respectfully. Lucius held out the Floo power to him and he held onto Dragon by the collar.

"The Lovegood residence!" He called out and stepped in.

When he rolled out of the fireplace, there were two large grey eyes looking down at him.

"Hello," said the blond.

"Hey Luna!" Draco grinned. He nodded in greeting to her parents who were in the kitchen not far away. "How are you?"

"Fine," she said with a distant smile. "Dad's gurdyroots are coming along nicely."

He nodded.

"Great. So, what do you want to do?"

She pointed towards a nearby room.

"Want to see Dad's muggle stuff?"

"Yeah!"

Draco and Luna walked into the Den which seemed to be more like a junk shop, filled with piles of Muggle objects and appliances, wizard memorabilia, plants, empty potion bottles, wire owl cages and a variety of other items. Draco knelt and began to examine some of the items.

"Do they work?"

"I guess…"

"How?"

"Don't know. Daddy don't know too."

Draco nodded and began to look around for the bits Sirius had told him about. Like plugs. He was pretty sure that most of the stuff needed to go into the wall or have – what were they? – batteries in order to work.

Bit by bit, he fiddled and put stuff that looked like it fit into other stuff together. Luckily, a lot of it was color coded and the house they were in used to be a muggle one so it had all the plugs. Luna looked on in mild interest while Draco tried to get the thing that looked like the 'television' Sirius had described to work. He kept at it, even when her mother came in with cauldron cakes and milk for them, only eating a bit of the snack.

A few hours later, he held his breath and pushed the button at the base of the screen. There was a flash and a snap, and then a picture came hazily into view. Luna's eyes grew slightly wide and Draco grinned.

"Yes!" He grabbed a VHS tape off of a pile in the back of the room. "Think one of these will work?"

She was watching the figures moving on the screen – a group of five children running around with a green haired man, point a things with rings – but she managed to nod.

He looked at the arrow on top of the cassette and then using that as a guide shoved it into the cassette-sized door. It went in with a click but the picture didn't show up. He frowned with disappointment for a moment then remembered something else Sirius had told him – sometimes they had to be on certain channels to show up. So he pressed the down arrow on the TV, and sure enough, reached the proper channel.

Luna pulled the blinds shut so that the room would be darker and they both sat down among the piles to watch. From what Draco could tell, it seemed to be some sort of adventure film. Something called 'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.' A few minutes in and already the main character was getting into trouble.

"_Oh, that's just my pet snake Reggie!"  
_

"_I hate snakes, Jacques! I hate 'em!"_

'Wow,' thought Draco. 'He hates snakes just like me!'

In fact, the movie turned out to be very absorbing and exciting. It had to do with all sorts of exotic things, including gunfights and fires and sandy places. Of course, it did get a little bit scary at the end, especially when they opened the box and all the flesh melted off the people. Luna got a little bit scared and hid behind Draco. He, however, thought the film was inexpressibly cool.

The end credits started to scroll and he got up and stretched.

"That was great!" He looked at the pile. "And hey! There are two more!"

He noticed that Luna seemed rather unenthusiastic.

"But… I've watched enough for one day. Wanna do something else?"

"A game?" She asked hopefully.

He nodded and they went to her room and played with games and puzzles until her mother called them for dinner. They ate and talked about their day to her parents; Mr. Lovegood talked about his day at work and her mother discussed some ideas for new potions that she had. Draco was enjoying it so much that he was really regretting having to leave.

"Bye," said Luna as he prepared to Floo.

"Bye – see you around," he replied hopefully before tossing in the green powder. "Malfoy Manor!" He stated out loud and came tumbling out next to his parents.

Narcissa grabbed him and kissed him.

"Did you have a fun time, Drakkie?"

"Yep."

"What did you do you?"

"Oh, nothing. Just stuff."

"Stuff?" Lucius asked in a skeptical but good-natured tone.

"Stuff."

She set him down.

"Have you eaten dinner?"

"Yeah," he said with a nod.

"Then you'd better get to bed, OK sweetie?"

"Bed?" He frowned. "Why?"

"Because," she said with a smile, "You're going to need your rest for tomorrow." She kissed him. "Just trust me."

"Ok… g'night," he said and went up the steps.

"Good night!" She said then turned to her husband. "He's getting so big…"

"That he is."

"Well I hope you two have fun tomorrow."

He smiled at her.

"I think we'll manage."

"Good. And what about…"

His face grew serious.

"Don't worry, love. Everybody thinks he's just a paranoid old auror. I recharmed all the hiding spots and shifted a few around. Nobody will find anything."

"Why don't we just get rid of…"

"Some of it still might be useful."

"You're still worried he might come back?"

He nodded imperceptibly.

"Getting rid of… certain items… especially carelessly, is a chance we cannot afford to take."

She nodded in agreement, then walked towards the kitchen.

"Dinners almost ready," she told him. "You'd better go wash up."

* * *

* * *

And that's all until next chapter. :) Review if you so choose – I always like to hear my readers' thoughts.


	12. Friendly Misadventure

First some reader notes:

Thanks for all of the reviews, favorites, alerts and C2s. :) Very encouraging!

Also – kudos to those who spotted the allusion to "The Neverending Story" and the brief "Captain Planet" cameo. Also, to answer a question from two chapters back – Eltanin is the name of one of the primary stars of the constellation Draco and is also called Gamma Draconis. It is the brightest star in the constellation, was once called a zenith star and might just be important later one. :) winkwink

Thus, moving along at a respectable pace, I give you – the next chapter.

* * *

* * *

Lucius Malfoy caught his breath and tried to keep up with his son, who was already at the top of the hill again. He wasn't nearly as fond of sledding as the boy was. However, he was going to be leaving very soon and he knew that it would make the boy happy if he did this with him.

"Come on, dad!" Draco shouted at him. "Hurry!"

He smiled at his son then apparated next to him and they took another swift trip down the hill, snow flying in their face and the wind whipping at their clothing. Draco was laughing and Lucius was trying to regain feeling in his extremities when they finally headed back into the house.

Narcissa was waiting inside as always for them to come in and get warm. The scent of gingerbread filled the air and Draco was not disappointed to see a plate of the cookies waiting for him on the table. He took some with milk and Lucius took a glass of mead. With less than a week left before Christmas and the subsequent departure of his parents there was still a lot of mischief to plan.

But that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy a day with his dad.

Lucius looked at his son wolfing down cookies and smiled. He had been worried about the boy but things seemed to be going along well. He was friends with the Nott child – a decent selection – and he was physically energetic and vivacious. He caused just the right amount of accidental magic to prove that he would someday make a talented wizard and he was much more careful about discretion.

But the best thing, Lucius mused, was how much he and his wife could trust their son when it came to leaving him alone and responsible.

* * *

* * *

Harry gladly received the letter from the owl and read it, wide-eyed and heart beating fast with excitement.

_Harry,_

_Thank you for telling us about your aunt and uncles tropical vacation. Sorry to hear you are left behind – but this might make up for it. You will get to see us if you would like. Remember, this must be kept a secret. Would you like to see us?_

_Tell us and we'll help you plan!_

_Eltanin and Mr. Padfoot_

Harry couldn't respond 'yes' quickly enough.

* * *

* * *

As his owl flew back form miles away with exciting news, Draco Malfoy's sleep was disturbed once again.

Again he woke up screaming. Again Narcissa ran in.

"Sweetie?"

He looked at her with wide, grey eyes.

"Just the nightmare."

"The same one?"

"Yeah."

She paused.

"Are you… Drakkie, are you sure you want me and daddy to leave you alone? Are you sure you're going to be OK?"

"I'll be OK," he said forcing a smile. "Just a dream. That's all."

But as she looked upon his apprehensively before leaving, he got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. The dream always seemed more real than the other dreams he had and terribly foreboding. He didn't know what it could possibly be about but he felt disturbed at its reoccurrence. Even when he tried to take an active part in the dream he found that he couldn't do much.

He tried to push it out of his mind and get back to sleep, but his uneasiness remained with him for a long while, even when the day broke.

* * *

* * *

Draco handed the confirmation to Sirius who smiled. For a moment Draco thought he was going to cry. He seemed torn between relief and elation and Draco felt his heart jump to see Sirius so happy.

"This is excellent… but we need to have everything prepared."

The boy nodded.

"Right. I have a list!" He grinned. "Here. Read it and I'll make sure we got it."

Sirius took the list and scanned it.

"Let's see… Invisible cloak?"

"Check," Draco said. "Well, almost check. Christmas gift."

"For sure?"

"Saw it getting wrapped."

"Alright, then. Muggle clothes?"

"Check. From Luna."

"Wizard clothes?"

"No problem."

"Plausible explanation?" He asked with a grin.

"I sure hope," Draco grinned back.

"So let me see if I've got this right… You take the cloak and go and get Harry on a thestral then bring him back here and keep him covered until Theodore leaves and then I go with Harry and you under the cloak to Grimmauld place, reassure Harry, get it cleaned up the best we can, brew some polyjuice with stuff nicked from here and what I have there, use it or an old wand for a glamour and make a trip or two to Diagon Alley, get back and generally have as good of a time we can while keeping an eye out just to be sure."

Draco nodded.

"That's the general idea. We just have to make sure Harry understands."

Sirius sighed.

"Well, all we can hope for is the best. There should be wands there… I don't want to Obliviate him, but I guess I would if I had to just to keep him out of trouble. Though I think, judging from the letters, he should believe me."

Draco gave Sirius a hug.

"Sure he will! And we can have fun times and then go to Hogwarts and have more fun times there and someday we'll get Peter then you two can always do stuff together and I can help…"

Though he didn't share the boy's optimism totally, Sirius couldn't help but smile.

* * *

* * *

Lucius Malfoy heaved a sighed and with a flick of his wand levitated the plethora of suitcases his wife had packed.

"What could you possibly need…"

"I just do," she replied in a tone that indicated the issue was settled. She then turned her attention to her son. "Now remember sweetie – keep up with your studies, don't go looking for daddy's magical objects, don't give clothes to the elves, don't let the animals out, don't touch the potions animals, don't go into the woods without your dog and Dobby, don't give the Notts a hard time, don't stay up to late, don't eat too much sugar…"

"Come along, 'Cissa or we'll be late!" Lucius urged, giving Draco a wink. "He'll be fine."

She sighed.

"And don't burn the house down. OK?" He nodded and she opened her arms. "Now give mommy a kiss!" He ran into her arms and obliged her, then gave his father a goodbye hug. They then both apparated away in a puff of smoke and a few moments later, Theodore apparated in.

"Your parents are gone?" He asked dryly.

Draco nodded.

"Yeah, but Dobby's here so your dad doesn't have to worry."

Theodore sighed.

"Of course not."

Draco ignored his sarcasm.

"Did you bring it!" He asked in an eager tone.

"I said I would, didn't I?" Nott replied, and took the book out of his cloak.

"Cool!" Draco dashed into the living room and flopped down in front of the fire with it. Sirius, who was already resting in front of it, curled up next to him. Theodore watched them from the door until Draco looked at him. "You can come on in and grab a book too!"

Theodore selected one of the several volumes resting on the sock-laden mantle above the fireplace and sat in a large chair, absorbed in a book on wand trees until Draco closed the book.

"Done!" He said and grinned at Theodore. "It was good!"

Theodore nodded, a smile flitting across his features.

"And now… for the real fun!" Draco said dashing over to him. "Let's go outside and see if we can find Tywyll again!"

"The thestral?" Theodore sighed.

"Yep!"

He paused.

"Could we play at least one safe game of wizards chess first?"

Draco nodded.

"Sure. I mean, you're the guest. I guess you don't have to go looking for the thestral if you don't want to…"

"No," the boy said. "It's fine. I just… would like a game of chess first."

Draco nodded then ran to get his set while Theodore closed the book and replaced it. It was true that he did not like going outside and that the skeletal beast made him more than a little uneasy.

However, for some reason Draco's company – amusing as it was – made up for this and he would have been sorry to lose that companionship. Funny that. The other boy was everything he wasn't and yet they did manage to get along.

He ceased to think about it when Draco brought out the set, but it was still curious. He wondered if such unlikely alliances were common. After all, it didn't make much logical sense but it was worth considering.

Perhaps there was a book on it that would make things clearer.

Obviously, whatever it was that was affecting him made him think less clearly. At least, in certain ways. He played the game against Draco well enough and won as always. It was after the game that his good sense began to break down.

That was why he found himself putting on thick traveling clothes from Draco's closet without making a fuss. That also might have contributed to his lack of surprise when Draco pulled out a ready prepared pack for traveling and an invisibility cloak. He was feeling apprehensive about the whole affair, but he continued to go along with Draco's requests.

At last, his curiosity grew too great. He followed Draco through the snow and with a sense of foreboding placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Draco – what are we doing? This seems like an awful lot of fuss for a horseback ride."

"Oh!" Draco replied in a mildly surprised voice. "That's right. I forgot to tell you. It's not just a ride."

"You forgot," he said dryly and rolled his eyes. "I'm sure. Not just a ride… well no kidding. Draco, what are we doing?"

"_We_ don't have to do anything except find Tywyll."

He snorted.

"Very well then. What are _you_ doing?"

"Kidnapping," he answered in a matter of fact tone.

Theodore stopped dead in his tracks.

"WHAT?" He shouted then his face flushed. "You… you can't! Who do you think you're doing to kidnap?" he asked irately.

Draco crunched through the snow over to his and whispered conspiratorially in his ear.

"Harry Potter."

Theodore stepped back and glared at him, slightly flush with rage.

"Draco Malfoy you are the world's worst liar. And if you didn't want to tell me you didn't have to say anything in the first place." He turned around and started to stomp back towards the house. "I'm going home."

Draco dashed towards him and grabbed his arm.

"Wait!" He said, stopping the boy. "I'm not lying. You want to come?" He grinned. "You might like it! I'm sure there's a few muggle shops we could stop at before we come back!"

Theodore turned around and looked at the boy's face. Staying quiet and watching others had given him a lot of insight towards the true intentions of others. As much as it amazed him to admit it, Draco looked completely sincere.

"Draco… you are going to get me into so much trouble."

He smiled.

"You believe me!"

"We are going to end up arrested because of you…"

"Let's get going!" He turned around.

"This is illegal on so many levels…"

"See Tywyll anywhere?" He asked.

Theodore sighed.

"And you're not listening. Oh well…" He looked around and finally spotted movement by the woods. "There, I think," he said, pointing.

"Great!" Draco took his hand and started to drag him. "Let's hurry before we lose any more time!"

"Why do I do these things?" Theodore moaned. "I must be completely crazy…"

"You're not crazy. You're just my best friend!"

"Since _when_?" He demanded.

"Since… well… since. I mean, aren't you?"

"I guess…"

"Then what's the problem? Best friends do things like this all the time!"

"What? Illegal things?"

"Misadventure!"

"How would you know?" Theodore huffed.

Draco smiled and thought of Sirius' tales about the Marauders.

"Oh… you know. Stories."

"Fiction isn't real Draco," he puffed, getting tired of running. "There's your thestral."

Draco looked at the snow, saw the tracks and nodded.

"OK then. Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," he sighed, climbing up against his better judgment.

Draco pulled the cloak over them both and they disappeared.

"Let's go! To Harry Potter's house!" He told Tywyll and the horse took off with a lurch.

Theodore watched the ground grow smaller beneath him quite rapidly.

Impaired judgment indeed.

* * *

* * *

And on that note… there you are. Until the next time – I hope you enjoyed but leave some feedback and I'll do what I can to make the next chapter even better!

See you next time. :)


	13. The Flight of the Boy Who Lived

Celebrate - over 10k hits!

Also, as a number of you pointed out, I did indeed say that Theo apparated, not flooed- and therein lies the peril of not having a beta reader. I also apparently called Harry Sirius' grandson not godson in a much earlier chapter. Sorry about this – I will try to do a better job of this in the future.

However, it's becoming very apparent to me that a beta would be helpful. Drop a review if you think you'd be good for it. Don't know how I'll pick, but I think having one might be a good idea since I'm making mistakes and not catching them.

In the meanwhile enjoy this (hopefully mistake free) chapter.

* * *

Theodore clutched on to Draco tightly through the entire ride, watching the countryside fly by beneath them from a height that he was altogether uncomfortable with. He realized that he would probably have to get over his aversion to heights if he ever expected to use a broom, but he didn't see that happening any time soon. By contrast, Draco was delighted at the feeling of the wind whipping his hair and grew so exuberant that Theodore had to occasionally make sure that the invisibility cloak was staying on them. 

At last the beast came down in the backyard of a Muggle home in an English suburb.

"Here we are!" Draco cheerfully declared.

"Keep it down," whispered Nott. "Somebody could still hear us. We've invisible, not soundless. And shouldn't we hide Tywyll too? Just in case? He can only be seen by those who've seen death…"

"Do you see anywhere to hide him? Maybe those bushes."

"Best for now," the black-haired boy nodded. "And how do you know this is the right house anyway? What if we've got the wrong address?"

Draco shrugged carelessly.

"Tywyll wouldn't mislead us. And anyways, what's the worst that could happen?" He grinned.

Theodore, whose imagination had been steadily growing since he'd started reading fiction, conjectured quite a few things that could fall under the category of 'the worst that could happen' and was eager for none of them to transpire. He followed Draco as they snuck beneath the cloak over to a window. Draco reached out and rapped on it.

"I wrote to Harry. He should be waiting."

Sure enough, moments later, the window inched up. Draco turned to Theodore looking cheerful and confident.

"See? Told you it was the right house."

He ignored the boy's nervousness and started to clamber up the side of the house onto the window sill. Theodore helped to give him a leg up, the saw Draco become visible once more. Once inside, Draco turned around and stretched his hands out. Theodore grabbed them and Draco pulled the still invisible boy inside the house.

The two tumbled onto a carpet and found themselves looking up at a boy with messy hair, black glasses and a scar, just barely visible between his black tangles. He was standing on a footstool that he'd needed to reach the window and was looking down on them with wide eyes.

Draco immediately jumped up and shook his hand.

"Hey Harry! I'm Eltanin. But that's just a pen name. My real name's Draco."

Harry seemed speechless for a moment.

"Whose he?"

He pointed to Nott, whose eyes were easily as wide and as amazed as Harry's.

"Oh, this is Theodore Nott. He's my friend too." He turned and pulled Nott to his feet. "Nott, this is Harry Potter."

Harry's hand was already outstretched and Nott took it, tentatively.

"Nice too meet you," said the young wizard.

"So," Draco went on enthusiastically, "Are you all packed and ready to go? Nobody's home, right? Wanna show us around?"

"Um… OK," Harry said awkwardly, pushing up his glasses. "This is my aunt and uncles house. I live here, beneath the steps."

Theodore paused.

"Beneath the _steps_?" He asked, quite sure that he hadn't heard him correctly. "The boy who brought down You-Know-Why? Harry Potter?"

Harry blushed and turned away. Draco looked mortified and pulled Theodore slightly aside.

"Look, he's been living with Muggles. Real bad ones too. He doesn't know that stuff. Just… go with it. OK?"

Theodore nodded, but he had already found his sensibilities to be deeply offended. What manner of people, even Muggles, kept kids beneath the steps? And Harry Potter too, no less. He internally wondered why the boy had ended up in such a place, away from the eyes of the wizarding world. It was strange, seeing someone so famous in such a mundane place.

Then they came to his room and Draco had to bite his tongue as well.

It was apparent from the clothes he was wearing when they first saw him that he probably wasn't being well treated, though Theodore knew only a little about Muggle garb so he couldn't tell for sure. However, Harry's room made Draco realize fully for the first time just what had made Sirius so urgent and determined to get him away from those people.

The room was small, dark and cramped with barely any toys or amusements in it, save for a few broken ones. The bed was lumpy and messy, the clothes piled, unwashed and all far too large. There was a sense of inbred dirtiness about the place and the air itself seemed stifling. It was basically a closet with a cot and it exceeded even the low expectations Draco had.

It was quite possibly the worst, most depressing place to live that Draco and Theodore had ever seen in their short lives.

"I have a bag," said Harry timidly, breaking the awkward silence.

Draco quickly shook his head, rousing himself from his stunned silence. He saw the bag Harry was talking about on the bed and picked it up. He looked at him and smiled.

"You're packed! Great! Now you can come back with us."

"Um… Don't you wanna see the rest of the house?"

Draco looked into the rooms he could see from the hallway and noticed pictures lining the walls along with unnecessary trinkets and other evidences of a well-to-do British family. He suspected that if he thought too much about it, he would get quite angry at the people who lived there and might get rash or worse, cause destructive accidental magic.

He shook his head.

"Nah. We've gotta hurry to get back."

Theodore tore his eyes away from the tiny bedroom and nodded in agreement.

"Yes. I mean – you don't want to be here longer than you have to, right?"

Harry nodded in mute agreement and the three went back to the window. Harry shut the door to the room and replaced the stool carefully so that nobody would notice it was missing if they came over or if the Dursley's returned early. Since they were in robes, Theodore and Draco went out first in the cloak, followed by Harry who checked to make sure that no one was watching before slipping beneath it himself. Draco reflected that perhaps he and Theodore should have waited until it was night to do this, but it was too late to change anything.

Luckily for them, a half-kneazle next door upset a few litter boxes and broke a vase, causing its Squib own to be momentarily distracted.

When he failed to see Tywyll, Draco had to assure him the beast was there and he gasped when he touched its invisible body. Theodore and Draco pulled him up and he sat between the two, with Draco in front and Theodore still hanging on for dear life at the end. Draco looped Harry's pack around his back and spurred the horse into action, causing Theodore to close his eyes tightly.

For Nott, the ride could not end quickly enough. However, Harry seemed delighted at the rush of the air and Draco knew that he would be a natural when it came to broomstick flying. He made a mental note to take Harry out on his broom at least once before he had to go back to that awful prison of a home. Encouraged by Harry's positive response to the ride, he urged Tywyll to go faster until at last Nott cried out and he begrudgingly slowed down.

As they flew, Draco also noticed that Harry was oddly silent. The Boy Who Lived was actually seething with questions that he longed to ask, but the flight was so enjoyable that he didn't want to break the silence and ruin the sheer beauty of it. Harry had been told from the letters at first that he was special and later that the accidents he sometimes caused were magic – though he could never share such a revelation with anybody else.

He did have a hard time believing it, even with the regular visits of the owl. Yet each piece of correspondence made him more and more used to the idea that he was indeed a wizard and his day would come. He was still just skeptical enough to worry that nobody was going to show up when Draco had promised they would. But he had come and Harry was finally getting his first glimpse of the world of magic, beyond that described on parchment.

So far it was nothing like what he'd imagined and he wondered if all his experiences would be so curious.

They touched down on the green lawns of Malfoy Manor around midday and Harry gaped at the size of the house.

"This is my home," Draco said, a little uncomfortable with the size of his house compared with what Harry had to live with. "Stay under the cloak," he told him as he and Nott emerged from it, "And follow us."

Harry did so, willingly, and Draco and Nott became visible once more. Silently, they made their way up to Draco's room, trying to attract as little attention as possible. Fortunately, the house elves were otherwise occupied and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. They reached the room, took Harry inside, locked the door and removed the cloak.

As he stood there, visible for the first time in a fully magical setting, Theodore grew pale.

"Harry Potter… We kidnapped Harry Potter," he whispered.

"Keep it down!" Draco told him unnecessarily, for he had whispered. "And we didn't kidnap. He came. Right?"

Harry looked at them and his head dropped.

"Did I do something wrong?" He mumbled.

"No!" Draco reassured him. "Nothing like that. Just that… just that like I told you. You're pretty famous in this world but since you've been with the Muggles, nobody really expects you. So they might get, you know, the wrong idea. Like if they just saw you reappear out of nowhere." Draco reached into his own bag and pulled out a robe and, after a moments though, some Muggle clothes that were more Harry's size. "Here, put these on. You can dress behind the screen,"

While Harry dressed himself in the wizard's garb, Nott glared at Draco.

"You know, we never did get to go to that bookstore like you said."

"We will. Someday. Soon. Promise!" Draco smiled and then turned his attention back to Harry. "Excellent! Now you're really looking like a proper wizard!"

He grabbed Dudley's old outfit and tossed it into the large fire he kept in his room after checking all the pockets to make sure Harry hadn't overlooked anything. They couldn't have the clothes be found and Harry needed things that fit him better – or at least weren't so pitiably worn out – anyway. Then he grinned at the two black haired boys.

"So, anything you want to do before we move along? We could play some games or read or just about anything that doesn't involve leaving the room," he said brightly.

"Do I get to see Mr. Padfoot?" Harry inquired.

"Soon."

"Mr. Padfoot?" Nott asked sharply. "Now what's that about Draco? More secrets?"

The silver haired boy nodded.

"Yep. And I'm afraid this is one I'm going to have to keep. Sorry Theo," he apologized ruefully.

Though his plans always seemed foolhardy and dangerous, Theodore suddenly felt threatened at the prospect of being left out and he wasn't sure he was comfortable with something being just between Harry and Draco. His curiosity burgeoned and his casual desire to know what was going on quadrupled into a longing to be included.

"I won't tell! I didn't tell about this did I? You can trust me! Come on, Draco! Who is this guy? And where else are you going?"

Draco looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"I'll… later, Theo. OK? Not that I don't trust you. I do. Just… this is harder. You might not get it."

"Yes I would!"

"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone but Harry. I promised?"

Theodore backed off, pouting.

"Promised who?"

"I can't tell you," said Draco, his voice filled with regret.

Harry cleared his throat.

"Please can he come too?"

"See? Theodore shot back. "He doesn't mind including me!"

By now Draco was feeling nervous and a bit cornered. He didn't know quite what to do. Sirius didn't want Nott finding out because he felt it would be too great of a risk. Harry might understand, given that they already 'knew' one another, but they couldn't be sure at all of Nott. And given his father's Death Eater connections, it could be very dangerous indeed.

He didn't want to let Nott come but he didn't want to ostracize the boy either. Desperately, he wracked his brain trying to think of a compromise.

"Tell you what," he told his friends. "I'll ask my… friend if he would like you to come over. I trust you but I'm not sure he does. But I'll talk to him, OK, and then maybe you can come next time. Would that be alright?"

He looked at Nott apprehensively. For a moment, as the boy glared, he thought that he wouldn't agree and they might actually have a fight in earnest and Nott would be truly mad with him. Draco worried that he might tell about Harry or the thestral or any number of things or, worse, that he'd hate him for good and never speak with him again.

Instead Nott sighed and uncrossed his arms.

"Fine. I'll go home for now. But you will ask?"

"Promise," Draco said with a nod.

Theodore nodded in return.

"I'll let you two get on your way then. You'll send me a message about when I can come over next?"

Draco gave him a smile.

"Sure thing. As soon as I can."

"Excellent."

With that, Nott grabbed a handful of the Floo powder kept in a container on Draco's small mantle and tossed it into the flames.

"The House of Nott," he cried and disappeared in flame.

"Whoa…" Harry whispered, impressed.

"We get to do that also," Draco said with a grin. "We're going to Grimmauld Place."

"Grimmauld Place?" Harry repeated.

"Yeah. Say it just like that and say it clearly or else you might not floo properly. You go first and I'll follow."

Harry walked up to the mantle and took some powder, tossing it in as he'd seen Nott do.

"Grimmauld Place!" He stated and felt a rush as he vanished.

Draco gathered up the bags, then followed suit.

"Grimmauld Place!"

* * *

As Nott retreated to his room, he pondered the mystery of who "Mr. Padfoot" might be in silence. Draco's behavior was curious and he wasn't going to wait until he was let in on the secret. He enjoyed the mystery – it was a challenge, just like the ones Sherlock Holmes faced. 

But who could it be…. What clues were there?

Suddenly, it occurred to Nott that he had not seen Dragon all day. Not outside. Not in the Manor. Not in Draco's room.

The dog was always with the boy.

_Always_.

He mused over what it could mean in his mind, but he felt that he was on the right track. Curiouser and curiouser…

* * *

Harry came tumbling out of the fireplace and found himself face to face with a tall, lanky man with dark hair and twinkling eyes. 

"Hello Harry," he said fondly. "I'm 'Mr. Padfoot' as you know me. But you may call me Sirius Black."

* * *

And that's where I'll leave it for the time being. 

Remember – a beta would be helpful. I'm just looking for one to review things in terms of spelling, grammar and continuity. Recommendations would be nice but I might still work without one. I don't know. I'm in new territory with this, so any and all advice would be awesome.

Thanks. And leave a review – preferably with criticism. :) It's how I improve.


	14. Reunions and Worries

So… yeah. I said I was trying to make the last chapter mistake free… and wound up typing "You-Know-Why"

I suck.

Plus, apparently addresses (web site or e-mails) don't show up in fics or reviews and I've really no idea why. :-

Anywhoodle, Draco's maturity (as pointed out) has been a problem for me this whole fic… though the distance between Draco and Nott, and Harry, I wrote in part because Draco has a tutor (Dobby) plus enjoys reading (though mostly books on sports and animals) and Nott is a bookworm, unlike Harry who gets little in the way of education, care or reading material. Also, Nott is being shown as rather smarter than the average cookie – JKR describes him as 'clever' and I figure he was that way for a while. As for getting along with Hermione… well, we'll see. :)

To address another question that's come up a couple times, yes this will go through Hogwarts. So, it's going to be pretty long.

Also, I will try to include all the characters I introduce as much as possible, but keep in mind that until they're at Hogwarts and in second year (since Luna is a year younger) seeing everybody in one chapter will be a rare occurrence. Plus, the chapter focuses will be shifting a little more away from just Draco – though there still will be lots of him.

Ah, enough talking. On to the story.

* * *

* * *

Harry looked up at the man and got the strangest feeling of déjà vu. The name, Sirius Black, sounded so familiar yet distant, like a song he might have heard a long time ago and could only remember a snatch of melody. The face was dark and just a bit rugged but it was comforting and he didn't feel afraid at all. Rather, he felt almost as though he was at home for the first time in a very long while.

"You're… Mr. Padfoot?" He asked hesitantly, just to confirm what he thought he'd heard.

"Yes I am, Harry. And I'm something else. I don't know if you know this, but I'm your godfather."

"Godfather?"

"Yeah…" Sirius gestured. "Come on, kid, I've straightened up the living room if nothing else. We can go there and talk, OK? I'm sure that you must have a lot of questions."

Harry followed him into the next room and Draco paused, looking at Sirius for a cue to follow. The man nodded at him.

"And you can come too Draco."

Sirius wanted to be alone with Harry but he figured that being with a boy his own age might set Harry at ease a little. It would be easier to trust Sirius too if he had someone else to reassure the boy that he was neither a traitor nor a murderer. The three of them sat down in a room adjacent to the one they'd just come out of, with yet another fireplace. This one burnt a cheery orange and there were a few plush chairs. Sirius sat down in one, Draco sat on the floor near the chair and Harry, upon Sirius' offer, sat upon the man's lap.

"I know this must be confusing Harry, but let me tell you that I mean you no harm."

"I know," said Harry, positive of this fact if uncertain as to how he knew. He simply did.

Glad that the boy trusted him for now, Sirius relaxed.

"So, I'm sure you want to know why we've brought you here. As I said, I'm your godfather. Up until now I've been prevented by… circumstances… from taking a bigger role in your life, but I want to make that up to you now. I know you're going to find a lot of this hard to believe – but you already know about magic from the letters, so that's out of the way at least," he reasoned, as much to himself as to Harry.

Harry nodded.

"Yeah… so all those accidents…"

"Accidental magic. It happens to kids quite often until they learn how to control their magic and have different, more constructive, outlets for it. And I'm glad you never told anybody – Muggles, especially like your Aunt and Uncle, wouldn't easily understand or be nice about it."

There was another nod, since Harry knew by now what Muggle meant.

"You see Harry… your mother and father – no matter what you were told – died fighting an evil wizard. I should have taken care of you but… I was betrayed. By someone I thought I was a friend. I was set up for a crime and made to look guilty… I got sent to prison but broke out and I've been on the run since, while you got sent to the Dursley's. And I know you might hear a lot of bad things about me Harry.

But trust me – they have it wrong. I can't tell them that because I can't prove it, not just yet. But trust me – trust Mr. Padfoot – when I say that I care about you and that Draco and I are both here for you, to help make your life better until we can get you out of that awful place for good. OK?"

Harry's face was distressed by the story and he fidgeted.

"Why did you friend betray you? And what happened?"

"It's pretty… gruesome to tell. But I guess he betrayed us because he was afraid. He didn't ask us for help though; he simply sold us out," said Sirius with a frown.

Beside him, Draco had a similar glower.

Harry paused to consider this and as he thought about it, a look of comprehension dawned on his features.

"You're the black dog!"

Sirius looked at him, amazed.

"I never told you I was an animagus…"

"I remember a black dog… a big black dog… and other things too…"

Sirius grinned.

"You can remember our animagus forms! I'm the dog, your father was a stag, Remus was a … wolf" he mumbled incoherently, still too nervous to tell them the whole truth, "and Peter…" he frowned. "Peter was a rat," he finished.

"Sure was," Draco piped up.

"So I do know you…" Harry marveled. "It felt like I did when I saw you… I did!" He grinned.

Sirius gave him an affectionate hug.

"You do. And now that we've got a little time… we can talk about anything. Anything you'd like, anything at all."

Never had Harry gotten the chance to talk openly and freely with another, not since he'd been at the Dursley's home. So for hours he asked about his parents, the magical world, the school called Hogwarts, the things that magical children did and many other questions. Sirius told him about how his father and mother met and hated each other at first and then gradually fell in love. He told him about many of the adventures that the Marauders had while they were still in school and of the marvelous pranks they played, many of them on a fellow student named Snape – or Snivellus as Sirius preferred calling him.

Even the mundane parts of their world were interesting to Harry. He learned all about the house colors and what kinds of robes they wore – though the idea of dress robes didn't sound extremely appealing – and what subjects he could take. The Sorting Hat and the process of getting a wand particularly fascinated him. It was amazing to think that something could know about you instinctively, even the things you couldn't see yourself. He wondered what kind of wand would want to choose him and where the Hat would place him when the time came. Sirius heartily recommended Gryffindor, though he refrained form saying too much about Slytherin, just in case Draco did end up there.

When Sirius told him about Quidditch, Draco joined in an enthusiastic explanation of the game and told Harry about what great fun it was to ride a broomstick and play wizarding games and tromp about the woods at home. He described in great detail the animals and things they would find in there and the fun that could be had with some of them, like Tywyll.

Sirius very deliberately chose to tell them both about the Forbidden Forest and the two grinned in unison, the same idea occurring to them both at the same time. As the time wore on they got hungry, but Harry didn't want to stop asking questions so Draco ran into the kitchen and grabbed a few sandwiches and things of pumpkin juice that Sirius had prepared before hand. He walked in on their continued conversation.

"So Draco gets taught by a house elf?" Harry asked, taking some of the food.

"Yes, he's cared for in part by an elf named Dobby."

"Whoa. Do you have an elf?"

Sirius grimaced.

"Unfortunately. His name is Kreacher… and he's quite the malevolent little beast."

"House elf?" Draco asked suddenly. "Where is he?"

"Locked upstairs. There's a portrait of my mother he keeps throwing open… and each time he does it starts yelling obscenities at me and telling me that I'm a disgrace to my family."

"But why would your mum do that?" Harry asked, totally nonplussed by then at the discussion of a talking portrait.

The man sighed, having known that the discussion they were about to have was inevitable. Yet, it was disappointing all the same.

He told Harry about how Muggles were disdained and how pure blood was valued by some wizarding families more than anything else. He told him about the idea of being a blood traitor and of the large prejudices that still remained in the wizarding world, even in modern times. Draco found himself unaccountably embarrassed as he thought about Harry Potter himself being a 'mudblood' and thinking about some of the comments his own father made.

Harry looked at him, confused.

"But… that's stupid!"

"I know, Harry. But sometimes, that's the way people think."

"I'm not stupid! Not because my mum was from Muggles!"

"I know Harry. I know. But that's the way the world is sometimes."

"Well the world is stupid," Harry retorted with a frown.

"Hey now," Sirius said, tousling his hair. "Don't get so worked up about it. Some people take it more seriously than others, but lots of wizards and witches are OK about things like that. There's a lot of good in our world too. You just have to give it a chance and watch out about some people."

Harry looked at him wistfully.

"Do I ever get to see the world? Outside I mean… like, a wizarding place that's not a house?"

Sirius smiled.

"Sure you will. We just have to take a few precautions, but we should be just fine."

"Cool! When do we go?"

"Well, not today." He gestured towards a clock on the wall. "Do you see what time it is?"

"… Eleven?"

"That's right. Eleven at night. Past time for young wizards such as yourself to be tucked into bed."

"But Sirius… I wanna hear more about Hogwarts and stuff!"

"We have lots of time Harry… tomorrow?"

He sighed but only a little. He was, after all, used to obeying his aunt and uncle without complain, though Sirius was obviously much more lenient to say that least.

"OK."

"You too Draco."

He led the boys up to a room, treading carefully.

"Remember, I've only managed to clean up a couple places, so don't go anywhere else besides where I show you. It might not be safe; you could both get really hurt."

Normally Draco would have been curious, but the tone in Sirius' voice told him that he had better obey that order. After all, there could be dark magic items about in a house like Grimmauld Place – he fairly expected there to be – and those were nothing to be messed around with, as his father told him repeatedly.

At the top of the steps and a bit down the hall was a room with two beds, already nicely made. Sirius tucked them both in and said goodnight before heading off to his own room to get some rest.

In the dark, Harry pulled up the covers and enjoyed the feeling of an actual comfortable bed. It wasn't what Draco was used to, but compared to what Harry normally got to sleep in it felt wonderful.

"You know Draco…" he whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I have the coolest godfather ever."

With that he drifted off to sleep. Draco, however, stayed away some minutes longer, staring at the ceiling. He had wanted to meet Harry very badly and he was glad that Sirius was finally getting to know Harry. Things were as they should be, he thought, and he wanted to be happy that his friend was happy.

But as he looked at Harry's restful form in the dark, he worried, just a bit, about his relationship with Sirius. After all, now that he had his godson… what if he didn't want to be with Draco anymore? How could a boy he'd only come to know through being in hiding fill the spot of a godson? Draco bit his lip and tried to push away those thoughts and get to sleep.

He didn't mind Harry. But a little part of him fretted over the idea that Harry might mean a division between him and the man he'd come to see as an older brother and a good friend.

* * *

* * *

Sirius tried to get some rest after the day of explanation. He hadn't thought they'd take so long talking, and it wasn't a bad thing, but they did have to push back their trip to Diagon Alley back. He was also very much relieved that he'd managed to find a wand in the old place and that Harry had believed him; he'd forgotten how long polyjuice took to make – potions was one of his worst subjects – and the wand probably shouldn't be used for a spell like Obliviate. A few simple charms would have to do the trick.

Things in general had gone better than expected but the thought of taking him out into public – even charmed – made even Sirius a bit nervous. He felt a rush of adrenaline and smiled.

There was, after all, a thrill that came with danger.

* * *

* * *

Nott looked through the books in his father's study feverishly, until his eyes were dropping.

"When is an animal… not an animal…" he whispered to himself.

There were several possible solutions but each seemed to end in one of three ways.

One, the dog was simply a dog and had been ill or something and what Draco was doing was unrelated.

Two, the dog was needed wherever Draco was going and had gone on ahead. Which really didn't make much sense, since that would involve a third unknown entity whom Theodore wasn't sure existed.

Finally, the dog was a human enchanted in some way – charm or potion or the like. He felt this might be the strongest possibility. The dog was always unusually well-behaved and seemed to understand Draco's orders, though there was no magical kneazle-like animal that fit the dog's description. Outward, it seemed to be a normal animal.

Yet a charm or potion could only last so long and who would be casting it? The only other way was if the wizard was an animagus – but no such animal was listed in the registry Nott had checked.

'So either the first choice is right… or the wizard's unregistered… or very clever at getting re-charmed… probably one of the first two. But who wouldn't register and why not and what business would Draco have with that person?'

By then Theodore was confused and tired. It was time to go to bed anyway; his father was taking him out shopping the next day. That did not mean, however, that he wouldn't be thinking about the conundrum.

It actually gave him a thrill; he did love Arthur Conan Doyle's tales and he felt a bit like the famous Holmes himself. It did vaguely upset him, however, that Draco hadn't seen fit to tell him right off the bat. Harry had gotten to go but he hadn't…

Harry. Nott frowned. The wonder boy, the boy savior… Well, who wouldn't want to know a boy like Harry, even if he was a bit quiet from having lived with Muggles? There was prestige in having a friend like Harry and he would certainly be exciting to be around.

Maybe… Maybe Draco didn't want a boy like Nott, who didn't like Quidditch but liked libraries instead, for a friend anymore. After all, it wasn't as though they had many interests in common. And given how much Harry seemed to enjoy flying, he was probably just like Draco. They would probably get along famously, no doubt about it.

So then where did that leave him? He thought about it on his way to bed and got to sleep only after restlessly shifting. He liked books; but he also liked having a friend to talk to, even if he did goad him into doing crazy things. But already he was being shut out.

Would he still have that friend, or was Harry going to be Draco's new best friend?

He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

* * *

* * *

A bit of jealousy all around… and I think fewer errors. I hope.

Well, that's it for now – and I promise, more Luna AND more in-depth Sirius soon! Hope you enjoyed and please leave a review with your thoughts, whatever they may be! Feedback is very encouraging – and encouragement means more chapters, sooner. :) Thanks!


	15. Jealousy and Secrets

Sorry that an update has been so long in coming. Real life pounced and ate my face off. :( But for your reading pleasure – the next chapter. Happy Halloween. Yesterday.

Enjoy.

* * *

* * *

Draco and Harry came down the next morning to find that Sirius had made them a breakfast of waffles with fruit and lots of whipped cream. When Draco asked where he'd managed to get all the stuff, Sirius just winked. Harry was just glad that he wasn't expected to make the breakfast himself like his aunt usually forced him to do.

As they ate, Sirius talked to them about the measures they would have to take to sneak about.

"Draco, you'll get brown hair and brown eyes and your name will be Daniel, Harry you will have dusty blond hair and blue eyes and your name will be Henry. Those should be close enough for both of you to remember. OK?"

They nodded.

"Excellent!" Sirius took out the wand and worked the charms on them. They grinned and looked at each other.

"Nice!" Draco smiled. "I can't even recognize him!"

"That was the idea… Oh, and I will be Simon. You can call me your uncle so that nobody gets too fussed about strong lack of resemblance, OK?" He charmed himself, making his hair much shorter, blonder and slightly greyer and changing his eyes to hazel.

"And off we go!"

They went to the fireplace and one by one they flooed, after running over it with Harry once more just to be sure he could do it again.

"Diagon Alley!"

The three of them spent the entire day running around, after a brief jaunt to Gringotts. The rest of the time was spent in activities that were enjoyable to Draco, since he got to shop without his parents dragging him places, and simply amazing to Harry who'd never done anything like it in his entire life. Sirius took them to Florean Fortescue's and they ate ice cream until they got headaches, then they visited Quality Quidditch Supplies where all three of them marveled at the latest broomsticks. Sirius sorely wanted to buy Harry one but Draco subtly pointed out that there was no good place to store it and he couldn't very well use it in suburban England anyway. The boy took the edge off of Harry's disappointment by promising him that whenever they could get him away from his aunt and uncle, he would lend him a broom – which was good enough for Harry.

"You know, you two are really going to be something," Sirius told them. "Once you two get to Hogwarts I expect the other teams won't know what hit them. The House Cup will go to Gryffindor for sure."

Draco scuffed his toe and mumbled.

"Hunh?" Harry asked.

"If I get in Gryffindor," he said a bit more clearly.

Sirius looked at him with a blank expression for a moment, and then grinned before ushering them into Flourish and Blotts.

"Of course you will," he said confidently. "Why wouldn't you?"

Draco bit his lip nervously but didn't respond.

Hogwarts was a long ways away, after all, and who knew what would happen between now and then? The Sorting was a long way off and it was probably best not to think about what would happen as a result of him being sorted into Gryffindor or Slytherin. Somebody would be disappointed; he just didn't know who and really preferred not to think about the fallout.

Then Harry grabbed a book on world Quidditch teams and started to show him pictures and ask excited questions, causing him to forget his sorting anxieties for the moment.

They perused the sporting section while Sirius was off looking at spell books. Then Sirius decided, as a guilty pleasure, to show Harry all of the things that were said about 'The Boy Who Lived' in the history books. Draco was left alone to search the books, while Sirius shared a history that Draco was already aware of with Harry. Without meaning to, he felt another little stab of jealousy.

He meandered until he came to what could be called the 'kids section.' While older people were running about the other areas, getting books on spell and theory, this section contained books of wizarding stories and child-friendly sorts of spell books that mostly involved making amusing shapes with doughy substances or blocks.

There were a number of small, kid-sized tables and chairs in there where kids could sit and read while their parents shopped. It was also decorated with cutouts and decorations that seemed overmuch to Draco. He meandered through the maze of low shelves, finding nothing much to catch his eye. In the back, however, hiding behind a book almost too large for his hands was something that interested him much more.

"Hey Theo!" He called in friendly greeting, not wanting to be alone and forgetting that he was supposed to be in disguise.

The boy's head snapped up.

"Do I know you?" He asked curtly.

"Umm…." Draco flushed.

"Draco?" He whispered, dropping the book and approaching him. "Draco, what on earth are you doing in disguise?"

"Draco?" The other boy feigned. "Who's…"

"Oh, come off it. Who else could it be?" He demanded sharply, then his expression softened. "I know it's you. It has to be…"

Draco gulped.

"Maybe not…"

"Draco, nobody else knows me. Not to recognize. No kids anyway."

"Oh." Draco wasn't quite sure what to say at that point.

"It's your dog, isn't it?" Theodore went on. "I did a lot of thinking and it's the only thing that makes sense. Dragon's human, isn't he? I don't know how or who…"

"Theodore…" Draco moaned and looked away. "I can't talk about this…"

"Why?" Theodore demanded. "Don't think I can keep a secret? Think Harry can keep it better?"

He let the last words slip without them meaning to and instantly flushed.

"Draco… I… I mean…"

"Don't call me that," he said flatly. "I'm Daniel like this. And if you're so worried about… about _him_, why didn't you say so?"

"You like him. I thought you'd be… angry."

"You didn't trust me."

"I wanted to keep my friend!" Theodore shot back defensively. "You're lucky, people remember you, know you. Me, nobody cares! I'm weird. I don't like flying or Quidditch or any of that and I thought… I thought that if you had a friend that did you wouldn't want to be friends with me anymore. But I thought if I blamed Harry you'd get mad at me and not him."

"But you still didn't _tell_ me! How am I supposed to know this stuff? I can't read minds!"

"You don't trust me either!" Theodore frowned. "Always keeping secrets!"

"Well maybe they're none of your business!" Draco retorted.

Nott bit his tongue and hovered on the precipice of a full-out argument. He felt horribly shut out and wasn't sure what the right thing to do or say was. True, he was aggravated and wanted to vent it on Draco. Yet he also felt deep down, or at least he hoped, that Draco wouldn't keep something from him without a very good reason. If he pushed things he might lose the only person he had who could be considered his friend.

But his frustration was at the breaking point and in the end that was really all it took.

"Is that how you treat a friend?" He frowned. "What are you hiding anyway Draco? It must be big if you won't tell anybody. Wonder what's up with your dog." He paused, saw a line, and then crossed it. "Wonder what my dad would think if I told him."

Draco blanched and trembled. In his mind's eye he saw Sirius whom he'd come to care about so much being taken away, being given the Dementor's kiss, suffering a fate worse than death… He saw Harry shut off for the next four years, wasting away in that horrible pit of a room at the Dursley's house… He saw his days stretch forward, long and sad, all because of spite.

Theodore's heart dropped and he regretted it even more than revealing his jealousy.

His hand shot out and grabbed Draco's skinny wrist, even though he tried to pull away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorry…" he babbled. "I'm not going to tell, honestly I won't, I won't say anything, not to anybody, you don't have to tell me, please don't be mad, don't be mad…"

Draco tried like mad to get out of the vice-like grip and ended up stumbling backwards. Theodore was still stammering out a hushed apology, hoping that nobody could hear them. Yet as he pleaded, the silver-haired boy who didn't know what to think seemed to be mentally closing up. He didn't know what he could do if Nott told, but Theo was all but prostrating himself and he was not free from jealousy himself…

A head poked around the corner.

"There you are!" Henry-as-Harry said, looking at Draco, before noticing Nott. "Oh. Hi."

"Harry?" Nott asked weakly. "It's… OK." He said in an assuring voice, contrary to all appearances.

He let go of Draco's wrist and Harry helped him up. Theodore felt his throat go dry as Draco remained silent and wouldn't look at him, but instead focused on the floor.

"Owl me soon?" He asked softly.

Draco froze for what seemed like an eternity.

Then he nodded.

Theodore was utterly relieved to the point where he did the most un-Nott-ish thing he'd ever done in his life and embraced the boy. Harry looked thoroughly bewildered but grinned all the same. Things hadn't been quite right there for a moment, but that moment had passed.

He went with Draco and Nott picked up his book again, still no closer to all the answers but feeling rather better about the whole situation, almost as if he'd dodged a bullet.

* * *

* * *

Draco, however, wasn't going to take any more chances. He had chastised Nott for keeping his true feelings about Harry under wraps and Draco supposed that unless he was honest too, he'd be a hypocrite. Besides that, the secret of Sirius' identity was getting to be too much to contain inside him. It was a pressing secret that he hoarded desperately yet keeping it felt like he was waiting for a blow to strike.

Nott was altogether too clever and it would only be a matter of time before accidental slips and the piecing together of information led him to the answer. Today they'd been given a reprieve; Theo had backed off after realizing he'd gone too far. But the situation couldn't continue forever.

That evening, as they prepared for bed, Draco tugged Sirius aside and tried to explain as much.

"And you promise you… you don't like him better?"

In that moment of foot-shuffling vulnerability, Sirius was suddenly very much reminded that, despite his education and occasional Malfoy airs, Draco could still be an insecure little boy. He ruffled his hair and kissed him.

"No, Draco, I don't. You're both special to me. In different ways, but that doesn't mean I don't love you both just the same."

Draco smiled, but then grew worried.

"But what about Theo? If we don't tell him… He's really smart, he'll figure it out anyways and I just thought if we could _explain_ things…"

"I'll think about it," Sirius promised and Draco knew that it was the best he'd get for the moment.

He went to bed and left Sirius downstairs, staying up for most of the night clutching a cup of coffee and wondering what he'd do now that he seemed to have gotten so many children so deeply involved in something that never should have been their concern from the beginning. Things were slipping out of his control and he wondered apprehensively where it would lead.

Truth be know, he was starting to wonder about his own sense of judgment. The weight of what had happened to him was still something that was difficult for him to bear. Asking Draco to bear it was difficult but necessary. And there was no question that Harry had to know, before he found out some other way. The situation needed to be diffused early.

But this third boy… Draco's reassurances didn't quite take the edge of nervousness off of the task. But the ruse of the animagi form was already useless against him. He would have to make a decision soon. Yet even his apprehension didn't keep him from privately marveling at the boy.

"Very clever…" He chuckled. "Classic Slytherin," he murmured, in a way that one might use to refer to a worthy adversary.

Not even the worry about telling another person could dull the delight of the day, though. He'd been out among true wizarding society, as a human, for the first time in years and it felt great. Besides, having the two boys around was almost like having his own kids; doubly so since Harry should have technically been under his guardianship. They enjoyed what he did and had the same sense of humor; it was hard _not_ to be cheerful when they were around.

However, the jaunt had also starkly reminded him that there was a world out there that he still could not enter into as himself. He'd been hiding out at the Manor for ages but was no closer to exoneration. There had to be some way, though… Some way to prove his innocence. Surely there would be others besides Harry and Draco whom he could convince. He just needed proof; that was the thing. Then he wouldn't have to hide.

What he really needed was a plan. But to his great distress, for the first time in his life, Sirius was coming up woefully empty.

After all, how did one lure out a rat such as Peter?

* * *

* * *

And that's it for now. There will probably be one more chapter dealing with Theo and Luna but then there will be a fast forward to Hogwarts time. :) Hope you'll all keep reading until then! And review – helpful criticism makes my day _and_ makes me a better author.


	16. The Sight That Binds

Last chapter before Hogwarts! And I'm eager to write that one so it will come very quickly. :) But one word of warning – I have changed the timing of an event and made it occur roughly two to three years earlier for the sake of plot. It doesn't really disturb the continuity at all but you'll see by the end what it was and (hopefully) why I did a bit of creative adjusting.

Enjoy.

* * *

* * *

The thing that Theodore hated the absolute most was getting caught off his guard and showing emotion. Emotional displays weren't something that his father approved of and frankly he preferred to be inscrutable. He felt like it gave him an advantage.

However, no matter how hard he tried to remain stoic, Draco, it seemed, could always take him by surprise and sometimes in better ways than others. The unfortunate thing was that with Draco, most surprises were likely to get him into trouble and not just with his father. This was more 'Ministry of Magic getting rather cross with you' type trouble.

The 'Guess what I'm hiding an escaped convicted' sort of trouble.

"Draco… please tell me I'm dreaming…" His eyes were wide as he looked at the man seated in the kitchen and felt like breathing was an impossibility for the moment.

Draco shook his head.

"I trust you," he whispered. "And you promise, _promised_ that you wouldn't tell anybody."

Theodore nodded. Because if nothing else, he knew that one ought to keep his word. He'd asked to know, begged even, and shouldn't have been surprised. Yet it was hard not to be frightened.

He pulled Draco aside.

"How do you know he's not going to hurt us?" He whispered.

"I trust him. I mean, he hasn't yet."

"False sense of security!" Theodore hissed and Draco looked at him vacantly and uncomfortably. "He's a murderer!"

"I explained this – he got framed!"

"He could be lying," Theo insisted.

"But he's not." Draco replied firmly.

Theodore realized at that point that there would be no arguing with him. _He_ could see the inherent stupidity in trusting a convicted killer but apparently Draco was blind to this. Draco went on instinct and had apparently convinced Harry to do so as well and was now trying to get Theo to do the same.

For Nott it was like stepping out into the darkness with no sense of direction or even a positive sense that there was ground beneath him. He was frightened and disoriented.

"Draco… Draco, you have to think. He is a convict! Do you know the trouble you, I, Harry could get into? He could murder us in our sleep and you say he won't because he told you a story that you believe? He could lie! He probably is! Think Draco! _Think_!" He pleaded, trying in a last, desperate bid to talk sense into his friend, frightened of the silent man at the table and terribly afraid that Draco was wrong.

"He is my friend, Theo. He cares about me." Pause. "I care about him. Please don't expose him…"

Theodore fell silent then looked at Sirius.

"I'm not going to hurt you, kid," Sirius said in a calm, flat voice. "And look at it this way – why would I trust one more person and let him bring you here if I was going to betray him? I'm not that kinda guy."

Theodore looked back at Draco and sighed.

"Draco – next time I want to know a secret, remind me about this? Okay?"

"You're not going to tell?"

"…No." Theodore managed to get out. "I'm not happy about this though! Draco, you're my friend. But you have no common sense!"

Draco smiled.

"That's why I've got you!" His smile grew wider. "Now let's get Harry up and you can follow us around today!"

* * *

* * *

To avoid suspicion, he went back with Sirius later that day after dropping off Harry and going back with Nott. The remainder of the vacation was spent at the Manor, checking in with his parents, until he finally got Lucius to agree to let him go to the Lovegood home one more time.

As soon as they got there he begged to play with the Muggle things and they watched a couple more videos together. The Jones fellow seemed to have better and more thrilling adventures with each film, even if they were a bit frightening at times and even if he didn't quite catch all the references.

"Harrison Ford…" he read. "Cool guy, for a Muggle."

In the interest of fairness, Luna got to choose the other film they watched which turned out to be not so bad either. He liked the parts about pirates and fencers and torture chambers. The romance he could have done with out. But the pirate bits were great. Especially Inigo.

After the movie, they hunted for snorcacks and all types of animals in the yard, though Draco had a sneaking suspicion that most of them weren't real, until they were interrupted by the discovery of a third child hiding in the bushes. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, Luna didn't find this strange at all.

"Oh," she said. "Hey Ginny. Hidin' from your brothers?"

The red-head nodded.

"She's my neighbor," said Luna proudly. "Well, kinda. They live hereabouts."

"Um…" Draco was still rather shocked at how silently she'd hidden to begin with.

"And she's has mean brothers," Luna told him in a grave tone.

"Stupid too. And kinda silly."

Draco regarded the broom she was clutching.

"Can you fly on that thing?" He asked in a hush.

"'Course I can," she replied scornfully.

He grinned. It didn't take much to lure her out and persuade her to play a game with them, rather improvised, that involved stealing a Quaffle and essentially trying to hit it different places with the other two chasing. They even got out the snitch for a while, though Draco was quite embarrassed when the red-head managed to catch it before he did.

"So," she giggled, clutching the golden orb and brushing a sweaty bang off of her face. "What's your name?"

"Draco Malfoy," he said, landing beside Luna.

She stuck her hand out and he shook it.

"Ginny Weasley," she replied, and if the last names had ever been heard before they meant nothing to either child at the moment. "Well, I've got to get back. Mum will be having dinner soon and it's my head if Fred and George figure out I'm the one takin' their brooms."

Luna nodded.

"Bye Ginny!"

"Bye Luna! Bye Draco!"

They waved her off then turned to go back in the house.

"There's still one more Indiana Jones film," said Draco in an anticipated tone.

"But they scare me…"

"Don't worry. I'll be there," he said with a smile. "So nothing can happen. And anyway, it's just a movie."

* * *

* * *

As the credits scrolled, he looked at her.

"Luna, you're my friend, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you're gonna keep being my friend, right?"

"Why not?"

"I dunno. I just feel funny sometimes. I know my dad doesn't like you too much but… I think we should stay friends, even if it's hard. Okay?"

She grinned.

"Okay!"

He got up and pulled her up as well before picking up the mess from their snacks, doing his best to get the crumbs off his robe. The pumpkin juice stain, however, was impossible and would need to be washed out.

As the stars began to appear in the window he went to bid her family good bye. The two peeked into her father's study and saw him editing the paper's next edition.

"Bye Mr. Lovegood!" Draco called.

"G'bye Draco!" He responded cheerfully.

Then they went into the cellar where her mother was working.

"Goodbye Mrs.-"

Draco and Luna's world went up in a burst of smoke and flame.

* * *

* * *

Draco's mother was so distraught that she forgot to be angry with Draco or the Lovegood's or the world in general. Draco's father felt that the whole affair was entirely unsurprising, but couldn't bring himself to chastise his son when tears filled his eyes. He didn't even feel angry when the name Weasley was brought up, just vaguely annoyed, and he forgot about the mention entirely before long.

At Draco's insistence, they caved and allowed Luna to come to Malfor Manor while the residual mess was being cleared up and the matter investigated by the Ministry for procedural purposes. Lucius' glower even managed to keep _The Daily Prophet's_ reporters at bay.

Sirius did his best to lick the tears away and serve as a furry tissue for the distraught children but felt horrified that he could do nothing more, especially for Luna. In a desperate bid to cheer Draco up, Theo was brought over to the house on strict orders to get 'their minds off of things.'

Unfortunately, all that he ended up doing was getting reminded of his own mother's early death and becoming rather depressed himself. This lead in a meandering way to thinking about Harry and his loss and by that time the three were becoming so miserable that their emotions hung about the place like a pall.

They shuffled outside with Dragon in tow and tried to allow the beauty of the day to cheer them. Instead, it seemed to mock their pain, that there should be sunny days allowed when one's heart was heavy.

As he looked on towards the back of the property, Draco saw a black shape and knew instantly what it was.

The three of them moved over and patted Tywyll, visible to Draco for the first horrible, painful, wonderful time. He wept into the creature's side and the thestral made a soft noise, as if he understood. Luna joined him. Theodore, a wall broken down for the first time, did as well. And as the thestral kneeled they all collapsed into the grass.

"I miss her…"

"Not fair…"

"Just like mine…"

"Why can't she come back…"

"We're supposed to be _magic_…"

"It hurts, it always hurts…"

"I just don't…"

"I can't…"

"There's nothing to understand!"

They stayed until sunset and fell asleep around Dragon who served as their common pillow. Lucius brought them inside one by one, carrying each in his arms, before shaking Dragon awake.

"Come along," he muttered, snapping his fingers. "I suspect they should be quite distraught to wake without you."

Sirius stood and padded along beside him as the sun went down on an age that wouldn't come again.

* * *

* * *

And the years flowed on.

* * *

* * *

So yeah – Luna's mother canonically died when she was nine, but I moved that up for obvious reasons. I hope it wasn't too depressing – but never fear, the next chapter will come soon and with it much more cheerfulness. :) See you then.

And remember – reviews are always loved and appreciated.


	17. The First Year Commences

Update as promised! It's jumped ahead to the beginning of the book series with lots of surprises around the corner.

Remember – make no assumptions. :) There's lot of fun and lots of surprises ahead.

Enjoy.

* * *

* * *

Harry had been instructed very thoroughly on how to act when his birthday rolled around. So he did his best to jump and swing for the letters that his Uncle Vernon wouldn't allow him to touch, even though he already had a fair idea of what those letters were going to say. He acted as though he'd never seen the insignia in his life before or heard of Hogwarts or anything of the sort.

Not that the Dursleys were especially hard to fool.

The real point of pride came with Hagrid. He managed to look properly shocked when he was informed he was a wizard (though he'd known for years now) and remembered to react with equal surprise when told about his parents' deaths (though Sirius had filled him on that too). In short Harry managed to cover up the double life he'd been leading for quite some time perfectly. As soon as he got exposed to the wizarding world long enough he could drop the act and behave like the fairly well-integrated wizarding child he truly was.

For now, his eyes widened and he pretended to drink in each of Hagrid's words with false amazement.

'I should win a bloody Oscar for this,' he thought to himself.

* * *

* * *

On a daily basis, Draco made Sirius proud if only for the fact that he learned from his father and then twisted that knowledge. His father had many hiding places around the house for dark magic objects. Draco made hiding places himself; except those stored Muggle curiosities and – after discovering them on a covert bookstore run with Nott – piles of comic books. Draco's father could speak to Cornelius Fudge with a straight face. So could Draco when informing his father that, no, he had not been sending correspondence to that dreadful Weasley girl again nor had he been seen with Luna Lovegood hunting for non-existent creatures in public parks. Lucius regularly slipped off to meet with former Death Eaters. Draco regularly slipped off to go to the cinema along with whomever he could coerce into coming with him on that particular day.

He was his father's child, except not; and that made Sirius exceedingly happy.

The day came all too soon when Draco got the fated letter and Sirius seemed to realize for the first time that he might have to say good bye to the boy. He was holding out some hope, however; as soon as Draco had read the list he'd pitched a proper Malfoy fit to his father.

"And I don't see why Dragon can't come with me! He's as well behaved as any cat!"

"I don't think it's a question of behavior so much as side, Draco darling," Narcissa explained. "Besides, Hogwarts only allows for one pet and you'll need to have an owl with you."

"Well I don't see what's the problem with two pets so long as I take care of both," he insisted then looked to his father. "Dad, come on. You know that I can take care of them! I just can't leave Dragon here! He'll miss me. I'll miss him."

"Dragon needs space Draco…"

"The grounds are huge!"

"And the letter did say only one and dogs weren't on the list…"

"Oh, but they make exceptions all the time for pets. Ravens instead of owls and all that."

Lucius paused. He had never been anywhere near as fond of Dragon as Draco or even Narcissa (who had taken to feeding Sirius at the table) was. Frankly, he didn't fancy walking the dog while his son was at school and thought it might be rather nice to get the house back to himself for a while. The house elves did a superb job but even they couldn't catch all the dog hair instantaneously and nothing prepared him for Dragon jumping up on him in greeting or licking his hand at inopportune times.

"I'll see what I can do," he replied. "But I'm not making any…"

Draco grinned and dashed up the stairs.

"Dragon, you get to come to Hogwarts!" He shouted.

"… promises," Lucius finished with a sigh.

Narcissa smiled.

"He's gotten so grown up," she said, dabbing her eyes. "And I'm so glad we decided on Hogwarts and not Durmstrang. I just couldn't _bear_ it if he were so far away."

"I suppose we'll have to take him shopping soon?"

She nodded.

"I was thinking, maybe the end of July?"

"That seems acceptable."

* * *

* * *

Draco managed to tug Theodore away from his father in short order and the two went barreling down the street, looking at the shop windows and pondering what to get. His own father had wanted to buy his books but he'd insisted on doing it himself, a pretense for a conversation alone with Theodore.

"I see your father is as interested as ever in your upbringing," Draco teased.

Theo smiled dryly back at him.

"At least he doesn't try to insist on buying everything for me like a child."

Draco punched him fondly in the arm before pulling him in to Flourish and Blotts.

"Do you have the list?" He asked.

"Of course. Don't you?"

"That would require 'being responsible.'"

"That's right. Silly me," Theo said with a roll of his eyes.

"And that's what you're here for, right?" Draco grinned. "Say, did I tell you the good news? Dad talked the headmaster into letting me bring Artemis _and_ Dragon!"

"But dogs aren't on the list!"

"Yeah, but I'm special," he smiled.

"Oh, special my arse," Theo retorted. "You have a father on the board of governors, that's all."

"Well it's not as though it was a _big_ request."

"Big enough. Why didn't you just leave Artemis behind?"

"Leave Artemis? But then how would Luna know my letters are from me?"

"Hmmmm, let's see… when she read them?"

"Familiar owls are nice to see," Draco sulked. "Besides, Artemis would feel left out."

Theodore sighed and pulled two books off the shelf, moved a few steps down and pulled out another two, handing one of each to his companion.

"I suppose they're just lucky you didn't want to bring Tywyll."

"Hey! I didn't even think about Tywyll!"

"Well don't. There's no way you're keeping a thestral in the castle. A dog is quite large enough. Besides – can you imagine the chaos you'd cause if somebody could see him?"

Draco grinned.

"We could ride him around at night and totally scare the heck out of people!"

"_No!_ Come now. I can hardly tell whether you're joking or not when you say such things!" Theodore sounded exasperated.

This earned a chuckle from the silver-haired boy who grabbed another two books.

"I'm just teasing."

"Good."

"If people saw us we'd get detention so we'd be wearing invisibility cloaks."

Theodore hmphed at him and Draco laughed again.

"Is that all the books?" The black-haired boy asked, examining the pile.

"Yes, I think so. Shall we check out?"

They worked their way to the front of the shop and laid down a few Galleons in turn for their purchases.

"I take it these aren't the only books you're bringing," Draco remarked as he took his change.

"Not by far."

"Find anything good lately?"

"I bought a Hemingway collection plus a few things by Hugo, not to mention a poetry anthology or two."

"Oh man. So much fun. How do you stand it?" Draco's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"And what about you?" Theo nearly snapped. "Still wasting your time on that American rubbish?"

"Hey – Batman is not rubbish!"

"Whatever you say, Draco. Cauldrons next?"

Draco looked up at a massive clock in the street.

"Sorry Theo – I promised my mum I'd be meeting her in about ten minutes to go get robes. Don't know if I'll get to see you again, but if I don't – see you on the Express in September!"

Theo nodded and gathered up the stack of books in his arms as they shoved their way into the crowded Diagon Alley.

"See you!"

Draco pushed his way past other shopping wizards and witches until he came to Madame Malkin's. Narcissa was waiting for him outside the shop and he pushed the books into her arms.

"Ready to get fitted Draco?" She smiled.

"I guess," he sighed, already bored.

She ushered him inside and talked with the proprietor for a few moments about what kind of material to use. Naturally he would have the very best, but his mother always insisted on reminding people of that.

Done with her explanation, she turned to Draco.

"Do you want me to go and pick up your wand dear?"

He nodded. She might as well – they had already special ordered one for him, made from the oak that housed many of the bowtruckles he was so fond of and had a core made from hair from Tywyll (upon Draco's request) and a dragon heartstring (upon Lucius' insistence that he not use something so irregular as thestral hair for his wand's sole source of enchantment). It had cost plenty, but he'd wanted it dearly and Narcissa was never one to refuse him much.

Draco tried to focus on the happier thoughts of finally getting his first wand as he resignedly climbed up onto the stool and stood very still for his fitting. It wasn't long, however, before a familiar face walked in and he could hardly keep from beaming.

"Hey," he whispered to Harry, shooting him a look to remind the other boy 'we're not supposed to know each other yet.'

"Hey," replied Harry, giving him back a look and nod that clearly said 'I know.'

"So… you're going to Hogwart's too?" Draco asked as innocently as he could.

"Yeah. Buying supplies, getting robes…"

Looking out the window, Draco spotted a hulking form holding a snowy owl and gesturing to Harry.

"Is that Hagrid? The groundskeeper?"

Harry nodded. "He's taking me around to get all my stuff."

"Oh… So he's the one in charge of watching the forest and stuff." Draco paused. "I'll bet he sees a ton of cool stuff in there. I wonder if he'd take me along some time."

"Are you sure that's safe?"

"Probably not."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at him. How typically Draco.

Meanwhile, Madame Malkin worked her way down the robe making measurements and sticking in pins. She hemmed up the bottom of Draco's and then did his sleeves before moving on to Harry. The boys did their best to remain still but couldn't help flinching once or twice as wayward pins hit flesh instead of fabric. They gave one another sympathetic glances and tried to whisper over her head.

"You know, Harry," said Draco, "I get to have my owl and a dog at Hogwarts."

Harry picked up on his meaning and grinned.

"Well, I hope you let me play with the dog sometimes."

"Oh, I think I could manage that."

They discussed the supply list and other mundane items until, just as Madame Malkin was finishing up with Draco, his mother returned. She held the wand box out towards him and he eagerly snatched it away and tore it open. He gave it an experimental wave and it sparked.

"Wicked," he breathed before shoving it into his robes. "Oi, Mum. This is Harry. He's going to Hogwarts too," he grinned.

"Harry?" She quirked an eyebrow. "Not... Harry Potter?" She looked at him, impressed.

"Might be," Draco said with a smile. "Harry, this is my mum, Narcissa Malfoy."

Harry stretched out his hand towards her and she took it politely.

"Hello Mrs. Malfoy," he said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Harry. Adapting well to the wizarding world? I heard you've been… living with Muggles."

"Oh. Um, yeah… I'm figuring things out just fine."

Before anything could happen, having been made wary by his mother's muggle comment, Draco interrupted.

"Mum, can Harry and I go around Diagon Alley?"

She bit her lip but nodded.

"Very well. See that you two don't get lost. Can't have you getting the famous Boy-Who-Lived into trouble now can we?" She smiled in a saccharine way and Harry paid for his robes as they left while Draco let his mother pay for and carry his.

They dashed out and found Hagrid waiting for them. This time it was Harry who had to introduce Draco.

"Hey Hagrid," he grinned. "This is Draco Malfoy. Mind if we go to Florean Fortescue's together?"

Hagrid gave Draco an appraising look that made him feel more than slightly uncomfortable.

"Malfoy, eh?" Hagrid rumbled.

Draco's throat suddenly felt rather dry and he shifted under the half-giant's gaze.

"Yeah, we met in the robe shop," Draco explained quietly. "And we're both going to Hogwarts and stuff…"

"I dunno…" he said suspiciously.

"And you're the grounds-keeper, right?" Draco said a little more brightly, trying a different approach. "You could come too and maybe you could tell me about all the different things you get to see and raise and stuff!"

If there was one thing Hagrid couldn't resist it was an opportunity to talk about animals. He acquiesced and Draco treated them all to ice cream, over Harry's protests to the contrary.

And by the end of their visit, as Hagrid took Harry and Draco went his separate way, he had to admit that the boy wasn't so bad – particularly for a Malfoy.

* * *

* * *

Weeks later, as the crowd mulled about to get on the Hogwarts express, Draco kept Dragon at his side and cast about searching for Theodore or Harry. Privately he was also hoping to get a glimpse of Ginny and her family, provided that his own parents were nowhere nearby. He knew a lot about her but was dying to meet the brothers he knew only through descriptions.

Already agitated, having said a rather lengthy and promise-filled good-bye to Luna, Draco sighed and made his way on to the train. He had shooed his parents away long ago assuring them that he could take car of himself just fine, though his mother was practically in tears. As he walked Sirius padded beside him, sniffing as he went for any trace of Harry. Catching none, he was rather surprised; the Dursleys seemed like the sort who would want to be rid of him as soon as possible.

After pushing his way thought the cramped aisle Draco finally found an empty box. He left Artemis on the seat and Sirius beneath it then went off to find someone he knew and practically ran into Nott.

"Hey! I've been looking for you," he grinned.

"Father was running slightly late," sighed Nott. "I hope I remembered to pack everything…"

"I'm sure you did. Responsible one – remember? One of us has got to be."

"I take it you've got a seat then?"

"Yeah, right here. Just shove your stuff under the seats or in the racks on top or something and it'll be fine. Wanna come look for Harry?"

Theodore glanced at the milling crowd of young witches and wizards and shook his head.

"No thank you. I think I'll stay here and get started on my reading."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Come on Theo. Classes haven't even started, you can't be reading already."

"It's not for class, it's for pleasure," he stated with a sniff, taking a thick volume out of his robes.

"_That's_ for pleasure?" Draco scoffed.

"Yes. It's a classic. _Les Miserables_."

"Whatever you say Theo. Make sure Dragon doesn't chew up the seats, OK?" He winked at Sirius who barked in reply. "I'm going to find Harry."

"Good luck," said Theo, already reading.

He managed to get outside the train again and wandered towards the entrance, figuring that if Harry hadn't come in yet he'd have to enter there. However, he didn't have to go nearly as far. Draco had only walked a short distance before he found Harry, brushing his hair back so that a red-headed boy could get a look at his scar.

"Oi! Harry!" Draco called and waved. "Where've you been?"

"Oh hey Drac!" He grinned. "Took forever to get here, the Muggles just dumped me off and ran. I had to haul all this by myself."

The freckled boy turned to face him apprehensively.

"Drac?"

"Actually, it's Draco."

He sniggered and Draco flushed.

"Think my name's funny, do you?" He retorted. "Well no need to ask who you are. Red hair means a Weasley. And seeing as you're not graduated and don't have a twin attached you must be Ron, the poncy one. Your sister told me all about you… seen any spiders lately?"

It was Ron's turn to flush as Harry and Draco chuckled.

"Git," he muttered.

Harry smiled at both of them.

"Oh come on now. He's just teasing you – and you did laugh at his name first. Come on, don't be sore. Have you found a seat yet?" He directed the question towards Draco.

"Yeah, Theo's already there and watching my stuff. You're welcome to come if you like," he told Ron.

"No thank you," he snapped and strode past both of them. Harry sighed.

"He seemed nice…"

"Well his sister at least can take a joke. And speaking of which… HEY! Ginny!" He shouted towards a girl milling by two older, redheaded figures, the female of whom seemed to be giving a strict talk to a couple of gangly identical twins. The girl grinned and dashed over.

"Hey Draco," she said with a smile. "Causing trouble already?"

"No, your brother's just a prick. Laughed at my name, can you believe it? Somebody needs to tell him that dragons are much cooler than weasels – no offense."

She rolled her eyes.

"Ron's just nervous, probably. He always gets like this. So, sneaking in a broomstick, either of you?"

The two boys glanced at one another conspiratorially.

"We'll see, once we get the lay of the land," said Harry.

"And by that he means he's already got a plan and hasn't told me yet," Draco finished.

She chuckled then gave each one a quick hug.

"You two take care of yourselves, OK? I don't want you maiming yourselves so that you can't play Quidditch with me anymore at Luna's. And you write and keep us up to date, will you?"

"Sure thing," Harry promised as the train whistle blew. "Well, that's our warning… we'll see you later Ginny!"

"See you!" They waved and dashed for the train, sliding into the box and cramming Harry's things in as quickly as they could.

"Took you long enough," Theodore commented dryly, not taking his eyes from the page. "I was beginning to think the train would have to leave without you."

"Nah," said Harry, straightening his shirt and situating Hedwig as he sat down. "You're not so lucky as to be rid of us that easily."

Just then, a bushy-haired burst in the door.

"Have any of you seen a toad?" She asked breathlessly. They shook their heads no and she looked crestfallen. "He's not in here Neville!" She shouted down the aisle then peered back in. "Thanks anyway. Say," she said, noticing Nott, "Are you reading up for school already? Because I've started to read some of the spell books and – "

"No. Fiction," he said curtly, cutting her off.

She looked frazzled but ploughed forward.

"Wizard fiction? I haven't gotten the chance to read any of that yet but I – "

"No. Muggle. Hugo."

"A Hugo _winner_ or _Victor_ Hugo?" She replied with a smirk.

For the first time, he looked up at her and gave her a wry smile.

"Victor. Les Mis."

"Oh, well," she said, sliding into the seat next to him. "I personally prefer Hunchback but Les Mis isn't bad either. How far have you gotten? Oh, and I'm Hermione Granger by the way. I'm assuming you're reading the unabridged version…"

"Theodore Nott. Of course – and only as far as Valjean getting Cosette from the Thenardiers."

"Not too bad. I'd love to talk about it when you're done. What else have you read?"

"Well, _The Importance of Being Ernest_ is a personal favorite…"

"Oh great," Draco sighed and turned towards Harry. "He found somebody just as crazed about books as he is."

"Think they'll get distracted if we play some exploding snap?" Harry wondered.

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea."

A dirty look from Theodore however caused them to abandon the plan and instead they settled for discussing Quidditch and stuffing themselves full of the snacks from the cart until the train arrived at Hogwarts. Hermione had gone predictably berserk when she found out that Harry was in fact Harry Potter but by the end of the ride she and Theo were back to talking as if nothing had happened, so engrossed that they nearly forgot to put on their robes before leaving.

* * *

* * *

The boats docked and Draco and the others tumbled out, Theodore and Hermione still talked.

"So Roderick and Madeline could be aspects of the narrator."

"I never thought of it that way…"

"Look!" Draco gasped.

"Look at what?" Harry sighed.

"Thestrals!"

"Can't see them, remember? Though I'm guessing that's what's pulling the carriages?"

"Yeah. So maybe I could sneak Tywyll in!"

"Draco don't you dare!" Theodore suddenly interjected.

"What are you my mother?"

"What are you, gunning for expulsion?"

"Hardly…"

They loaded into the carriages, with Draco stopping to pet one of the thestrals, earning him a strange look or two from several of the other students around him, Hermione included.

"What are you doing? Is there something there?"

"Yeah, it's a thestral. A horse, kinda, but you can't see it unless you've seen death."

"Oh." She paled a bit and looked curious but didn't pry and further as they entered the carriage and went up to the castle.

When they got there, an older witch came out, introduced herself as Professor McGonagall and addressed them, explaining about the houses, the school and most importantly their imminent Sorting.

"I want to be in Gryffindor," said Harry. "Sirius says there's nothing like it."

"I've heard good things about it…" replied Hermione.

"My father would be most displeased if I ended up there," Nott replied coolly.

"Yeah, well if you're in Slytherin I think that obligates me and Draco to prank you on a regular basis."

"And what if Draco's with me?"

"Then there's no cosmic justice," said Harry.

The students were ushered into a hall where they shuffled and waited nervously. Theodore opened his book back up and continued to read when suddenly a small hand yanked it out of his grasp.

"What's this?" Simpered a girl with an upturned nose who was flanked by two meaty boys. "Keeping up with your studies already Nott?"

He sighed. "Give it back Pansy."

"No I don't think I… why _Theodore_! You surprise me. Is this _Muggle_ literature? I think it is!" She gasped. "Wait until your father hears about this…"

"Give it back," he insisted. By then people were started to stare at the two, including Draco and Hermione, Draco who was glowering at the two huge students and Hermione who was regarding the escalating conflict nervously.

"Really? Because I don't think books like this belong in Hogwarts. In fact, I don't think they belong anywhere, period."

"That is because _you_ are an ignoramus," he growled, patience wearing thin. "Now give me my – "

Before he could finish, however, Pansy flipped it open, grabbed a handful of pages and tore them out. Draco gasped and Theodore grew livid.

"You little prick!" He shouted and punched her in the jaw before the two boys behind her jumped him. Draco and Harry stepped forward and tried to pull them off but McGonagall was there before long.

"What is the meaning of this?" She thundered. "Fighting before you're even Sorted? Shame! Wait until the Headmaster hears about this." She frowned and assessed the situation then looked at the group, Harry and Draco trying to hold the two back and Theodore with a few bruises already starting to show. "You four," she said pointing at the two giants, Theodore and Pansy, "Will come with me. You two… you weren't fighting so I'll let you off this time. But behave or you'll be next."

She strode off with Theodore and the others following, Theo a dark shade of red.

"Crikey," Draco breathed.

"Yeah… Poor guy. I can't believe he hit her."

"I can't believe he didn't do more than hit her."

"Quiet you two," Hermione shushed them. "The Sorting is about to begin!"

They walked up to a hat which leapt up and sang a song. As it went on Draco began to realize that for him, this was a moment of truth, determining where he belonged for the next seven years. He suddenly felt extremely queasy and wanted nothing more than to still be on the train. What if he got rejected? What if he was the only one he knew in his house? Would he ever get to see Nott or Harry?

McGonagall started to call names and the feeling grew sicker and colder. Hermione wound up in Gryffindor and he felt pleased for her but worse for himself. Every name that was called brought him closer and closer to his assignment, closer and closer to seeing who he really emulated deep inside…

"Draco Malfoy!"

Draco walked up slowly and sat down on the stool, nervously resigned to the fact that whatever happened he was going to displease somebody, be it his father or Sirius. He tried to focus on his shoes and keep his head as empty as possible so that he wouldn't have to worry about having favored one above the other, even subconsciously.

_Certainly a good bit of intelligence – when you want to use it, which you do mostly for pranks I see…_

He didn't want to upset people. The problem was that, since you couldn't be in two houses, it made it inevitable. And honestly, he didn't know which house he wanted to be in.

_Not to mention sneakiness when you want…_

After all, there was probably something in heredity. But Sirius had bucked tradition hadn't he? But maybe Slytherin was the place for him, since he tended to be rather devious; or at least he liked to think so. Even so, Sirius and the rest were pranksters in Gryffindor – and there was no doubt as to which house was seen as favorable in the widest circles for bravery and nobility.

_Bravery, definitely, and no shortage of courage, definitely reminiscent of Black…_

The whole rivalry made it even worse. After all, if he was from a Ravenclaw family but got labeled a Gryffindor, well, people could get used to that. But a Slytherin scion going to the house of their proverbial enemies? His mother would have a fit; and he always hated to see her upset. Sirius hadn't cared much for _his_ mother so it wasn't so bad. But it was different with Draco.

_But to keep a secret as large as the one you keep so well for so long out of sheer fidelity and love… and the bond you feel towards your friends…steadfast and loyal. Yes, I think my choice is made._

Draco's head snapped up as he realized the Sorting Hat's silence meant it had come to a conclusion.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

He heard the word and slumped forward; then everything went dark.

* * *

* * *

Hope you enjoyed the extra super long chapter. :) Info about how the rest got sorted will be in the next part.


	18. The Sorting Completed

First an apology – it was finals week. It was tough. It was busy. I was sleepless. I got sick upon arriving home. Not much else I can say.

Next – thanks for all the great reviews:) This chapter will show how everyone else gets sorted – some things will be a surprise, but then again some things won't be. In any case, there is (in fact) a plot and a plan, so don't worry – things will work out, if not fine, then at least in an interesting fashion.

Finally – a HUGE thanks to all for getting this story past 100 favorites and 100 alerts! Hugs to all of you:)

And now, on with the story.

* * *

* * *

Draco was somewhat aware that the world around him was dark and he wondered why. Could he have been sleeping? The memories of what he'd been doing eluded him so he tentatively opened his eyes, not sure what to expect. What he found was Harry standing over him with a broad grin on his face and Hermione doing likewise, looking anxious. Suddenly, his recollection of the past few minutes came flooding back in a mildly unpleasant wave.

"What happened?" He asked uncertainly, worried that he already knew. "I had the weirdest dream that I got into Hufflepuff…"

"No dream, mate," said Harry, helping him to his feet. "You got put into the badger house then slid clean off the chair and passed out for a moment."

"What! No… Harry, this isn't funny…"

"Draco, we thought you'd cracked your head open, it was so loud… oh but you seem to be OK, come on, there's lots more kids to sort, you'd better find your seat…" Hermione fussed over him, brushing dirt of his robes.

"Hufflepuff?" He looked at her and she nodded.

He paused for a moment, and then resolutely walked over to the table where, upon seeing he had not, in fact, rendered himself unconscious, the others applauded before the ceremony moved forward. As he sank down into his seat, Draco still felt a little red from the embarrassment of having tumbled off of the stool and from the fact that he was now irrevocably in Hufflepuff. As he watched other first-year-students move down the line, his heart filled with dread at the coming week.

_What_, he thought,_ are my parents going to say?_

Miserably, he concluded that a Howler was in the near future. He felt even worse when a grizzled wizard with a cat at his heels marched in a sullen looking Theodore along with Pansy and the other two boys. Theo shot him a surprised look and he blushed as the four of them joined the unsorted throng.

* * *

* * *

"Hmph," Ron snorted. "All that snobbiness over a name and he didn't even get into Ravenclaw. Serves him right, the stuck-up jerk. Still," he frowned, "I'll bet you anything Potter's going to get into Gryffindor. I'll have to put up with that mess all the time, preening over that obnoxious, attention-seeking…"

"Why are you so sure you'll be in the same house together?" A voice beside him asked.

Ron spun and found himself facing a girl who hadn't been there moments before. Realizing that she'd overheard him talking to himself, his ears turned pink at the tips. Feeling caught and rather mortified, he began to stammer.

"I mean… I was just talking to myself… you know…"

She smiled at him so nicely that he could almost overlook the slightly unpleasant glint in her eyes.

"I just wanted to know why you think he'll be in your house," she asked in a dulcet tone.

"Because people like him are always in Gryffindor, that's why," he grumbled.

"Well why do _you_ have to be?" She persisted.

"Well… because… well, it's a family thing. And they would be really disappointed in me if I wasn't."

"But you're a Weasley, aren't you?"

"Yeah? What of it?" He snapped, a little defensively.

"Well, if even those two goofball brothers of yours that I've heard rumors about can get into Gryffindor, I wouldn't say it's that high of an honor. I mean, it's really what you do and not what house you're in, isn't it, that makes you a success or a disappointment? At least I think it should be that way. After all, if you're a Quidditch captain, who cares what house team you're on?"

He nodded; she was starting to make sense.

"And since the Weasleys are pureblood – I mean, you are, right? – You could probably get into Slytherin."

"Slytherin?" He swallowed. "Why… why Slytherin? I mean aren't they a bunch of…"

She leaned in towards him, making his ears pink once more, and started to whisper in his ear.

"Oh, that's just Gryffindor talk. You know what Potter's like – and those twins – well, they're all like them. Pretentious, full of themselves… Besides, what other house would be best? Hufflepuff's are all a bunch of plodders and Ravenclaws are just a bunch of studying geeks. What other house would be best?"

"I don't know. I mean, doesn't the hat choose for you?"

"Rubbish," she insisted. "You just have to have a firm idea in mind when you get up there. Think Slytherin thoughts. Think ambition. Think the desire to be great. Tell the Hat just where it had better put you or it will be sorry!"

Ron laughed but flushed and thought of his brothers Bill and Charlie and all they'd done at school. Thinking about the desire to be great wasn't hard at all; he wanted to be great; he wanted to very, very badly. And seeing Harry happily chatting with Theodore and a few girls giving him enamored looks made his stomach feel sour. Being in a house with him would mean putting up with that for what seemed an eternity.

Maybe the girl had a point. After all, his brothers exaggerated anyway, and what would he expect them to say about inter-house rivals? Sure a lot of bad wizards came from Slytherin, but there had to be talented ones too. People just didn't remember those ones. If he was a Slytherin, he could even bring his house to greatness and show everybody that a Slytherin could be just as successful and clever and talented as a Gryffindor!

Ron nodded resolutely.

"That's right! I'll tell that Hat where to stick it if I'm not in Slytherin!"

* * *

* * *

"So Draco got in to Hufflepuff?" Nott whispered.

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "And Hermione got into Gryffindor.

Nott frowned.

"Well, I don't know where I'm going to end up, but I'm betting it's not going to be with Draco. What if he ends up alone in there?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "It's not like we won't see him throughout the day. And as for meals… we'll just eat somewhere else that's not the Great Hall. We can do that can't we?

"I don't see why we couldn't," Theo replied thoughtfully. "I just hope he doesn't feel too lonely. And I hope his parents don't go too hard on him."

"I'm sure he'll be OK. We're still going to be his friends; we just might have to sneak out at night more often to have time together, and I'm sure he won't mind _that_. And speaking of getting you into trouble – where were you?"

"McGonagall had to be here for the Sorting so she handed us off to this creepy old janitor, Fletch or Fitch or something. Him and his flea bitten cat. Since we weren't Sorted yet, no points will get removed from whatever house we get into. But we do have detention in two days," he explained with a groan.

"Tough luck, that," said Harry with a sympathetic nod. "We'd better pay attention though. I think they're getting to the end of the alphabet."

Moments later, McGonagall looked up from her list and called out "Nott, Theodore."

Nott walked to the front with a disgruntled sigh and sat down, waiting for the Hat to be placed on his head.

_Well you're smart._

"Of course I am."

_And smart-alecky. _

"Fair enough."

_Certainly enough intelligence to get into Ravenclaw…_

"Naturally."

_But there is a strong Slytherin streak that runs through you._

"Lovely alliteration. Look, why don't we call it even and have you put me into Gryffindor," he responded in thought, casting a glance towards Harry.

_Why on earth would you want…_

"Do it. Or I'm going to take you off, bite you and rip out all your stitching with my teeth."

_On the other hand, that seems to be exactly where insolence towards authority belongs._

"I thought so."

_You can be quiet now, you cheeky little imp. And I suggest you do before I state that you're not worthy of Sorting._

"You wouldn't…"

_Try me, boy._

Theodore, thinking it was less than prudent to continue harassing the Hat, shut himself up mentally and let the Hat tell the result.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

There was a pause, though nothing like the awkward one following Draco's, and he sat down with them amidst cheers. He didn't have long to wait before Harry joined him and the two sat next to Hermione to wait for the end of the ceremony. Draco shot the three of them an envious look but they could only shrug. They shifted impatiently, eager to eat. Towards the end to red-heads – the twins – cast grins at each other as their brother was called to the fore.

"Weasley, Ronald!"

He sat down and there was a pause. The hat seemed puzzled and slightly disgruntled.

_Well aren't we all just an empowered bunch of pre-teens, making our own decisions about houses this year. Why you all know so well maybe we should get rid of me and the Sorting, and just shove you all wherever you please! _

Ron stayed silent towards the Hat's ranting and deliberately avoided his brother's eyes, knowing what was coming.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The twins audibly gasped and a teacher at the table looked towards Ron with wide eyes. Ron avoided looking towards anything except the table of Slytherins and he quietly sat down next to a girl who had just joined as well – the girl who'd talked to him, in fact – Pansy Parkinson.

She patted his arm.

"See? That wasn't so bad. It's going to be a great year, don't you think?"

He nodded mutely, but swore he could feel the daggers that the twins were glaring at him.

* * *

* * *

While the headmaster spoke, Draco tapped his foot impatiently. The Sorting had taken long enough and he was ready for the feast. He did, however, file what he heard about forbidden areas away in his mind for future reference.

Once the speech ended, he got to speak for the first time to his fellow housemates. As he turned away from Dumbledore, he saw that some were already looking at him. The two girls who had been Sorted early on – Abbot and Bones as he recalled – were whispering to each other, but the boys were looking at him and not all of them pleasantly.

"That was quite a spill you took!" One boy chuckled. "But I'm glad you're alright." He stuck his hand out towards Draco. "I'm Justin Finch-Fletchley," he grinned.

Draco took his hand when another boy interrupted.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he snapped.

"What? Why not?" Justin responded with a confused look.

"Because he's not supposed to be here," he retorted, indicating Draco, and Draco blushed.

"Zach!" Gasped a rather portly boy next to him.

"Oh, come off it Ernie, we all know he's not."

"What do you mean by that?" Draco asked, slightly irate.

"Yeah – I mean, he got Sorted with us, didn't he?" Justin said uncertainly.

The blond rolled his eyes. "Didn't you hear the surprise when he was Sorted? He's a _Malfoy_ – his family is as Slytherin as they come! And he probably fooled the Hat to get in here or something like that. There's no way he could be a true Hufflepuff; his family is full of Dark Wizards and it's no secret what house they should be in. Besides," he said, casting a look towards Justin. "You're muggle-born aren't you? Wizards like him hate people like you. In fact, I'll bet his looking down his nose at all of us right now."

"That's not true!" Draco burst out. "Who do you think you are, anyway, telling me that I don't belong? The Hat put me here, honestly. And my family is not all Dark Wizards!"

"I'm sure you'd say that now. Trying to get us to trust you before stabbing us in the back?"

"I am not!" he began to get flushed. "I mean, I want you to trust me but not for anything ulterior like that! And how dare you say those things about my family? My father was cleared, we're honest wizards!"

The other boy snorted. "Honest wizards? _Please_. Come on Ernie, what do you think?"

He shifted in his chair, clearly uncomfortable. "I… I've heard a lot of things…"

"Rumors!" Draco shot back, noticing Justin's now suspicious look yet feeling that the words perhaps had some merit. "Rumors and lies! And I don't hate being here."

"Really? Then tell me, what did you think when the Hat said Hufflepuff?"

"I…" Draco blushed.

"Hmph. Thought so. You don't even want to be in this house, do you? Well then, why don't you get Daddy on the Board of Directors to intervene and change your house for you?" He sneered.

Ernie looked at Draco, then turned to Justin. "I'm Ernie Macmillan and he's Zacharias Smith…" he futilely tried to change the subject before Zacharias interrupted again.

"Better yet, why don't you just leave? Go to Durmstrang or something, I'm sure they'd be happen to take in someone like you there," he said, his voice laced with contempt.

Draco looked at the food, feeling progressively worse and worse. First he got into a house that was (reputedly) for dunderheads but which would make his father angry no matter what its reputation. Then all of his other friends got Sorted into Gryffindor and left him alone. And now not even his own housemates seemed to want him.

"I hate this place," he mumbled, and reached for a dinner roll. Zacharias grabbed the basket of them away before he could get one and he grew even angrier at the boy's haughty look towards him. Justin and Ernie looked nervous and the girls were caught up in discussing other topics amongst themselves. Exhausted Draco sighed.

It was going to be a long year.

* * *

* * *

Yes, Nott would have been excellent for Ravenclaw and I heavily considered it; however, he went into Gryffindor for purposes of character interaction. If I split them up too much then it would be difficult finding ways to get them to interact, seeing as the Common Rooms are good places for things to occur. Also, there is much less information on Ravenclaw happenings in the canon books (which I'm trying to adhere to fairly decently). But don't worry; there will be plenty of Ravenclaw's appearing throughout. And props to those who correctly guessed House placements, including Ron's.

Next chapter – Draco has more difficulties but so do certain other characters, Sirius gets some screentime and Mr. Malfoy's reaction arrives. Until the next time.

And Happy New Year to all. Thanks for helping to make it such a great year for this fic and for me!


	19. Strolls and Letters

To pre-empt any review questions or speculations – yep, it's still M13, just with a name changed. I had the old one for quite some time so I thought I'd try something a little different.

Also, sorry all for not updating more. However, my reason is slightly more legitimate than for previous lapses. My mother, who'd been battling cancer for several years, took a turn for the worse with the new year and started to go downhill. She passed away in early May and there's been much to take care of and do, not to mention just a lot of stuff to go through.

I don't show fic to family so she likely never read this story. She did, however, love Harry Potter in all its incarnations. In fact, she was the one who first purchased the books for us and got my dad to grab them on opening day. She was a classy lady who taught me to read, write and pursue my dreams, and without her I probably wouldn't even be doing this. So with that – this chapter is for her.

Hope you all enjoy.

* * *

* * *

The meal following the sorting had hardly been enjoyable. Nobody seemed to want to look at him or talk to him and he could swear that he could hear the sounds of Harry and Theodore's laughter as they sat, just tables away, surrounded by friends and enjoying themselves. He could not be with them and all attempts at civility seemed to have failed; even the house ghost seemed to be more engrossed with food than interested in meeting the new Hufflepuffs. Having nothing else to do, he picked at his food and sulked his way through the meal, barely listening even when Dumbledore talked.

When they were finally taken back to their dorms, he shuffled along at the end of the line, catching only a glimpse of his friends as their own prefects bustled them out of the hall and down the passages. There was already socialization going on in the common room, but some how he doubted that he would be any more welcome among the older Hufflepuffs than he was among the new. Rather than try, he simply went upstairs to where his pets and luggage were already waiting for him. He realized that he'd be rooming with one of the other boys and got a sinking feeling once more.

With his luck he was probably going to end up with Zacharias Smith.

Having nothing else to do, he sat down and wrote his parents. There was no sense in prolonging it; his father would find out anyway from his business with the school and it was probably better if Draco told them himself. Best to get it over with.

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_I got into Hufflepuff. _

_I'm sorry._

_Love, Draco. _

_P.S. I miss you._

Briefly he considered asking his father to switch him, but he couldn't very well ask to get switched into Gryffindor – and Slytherin would probably be just as bad, if not worse. All of the contempt and less of the good nature. Besides, it would be like he was proving Smith right if he did that, something he already wanted to avoid. Perhaps he was a little prejudiced; that didn't mean he didn't want to give Hufflepuff a chance or that he hated all the kids in his house.

It seemed as though everybody already thought that though, anyway.

Folding the letter up quickly, Draco stood and took Artemis from the cage. He deftly tied the letter to the owl's leg and sent her out of the nearby window with a flourish. She disappeared into the night and he sighed, turning back into the room where Sirius, awakened by the ruffling noises, had stood. As he listened to the people downstairs having fun, he felt progressively worse. Stroking Sirius' hair, he sighed and slumped against the bed. His eyes pricked with tears but he was suddenly nervous about the others returning or heading to bed. If they found him crying, surely they would only mock him more.

What he really wanted was to talk to Theo and Harry, but since they'd disappeared in the crowd he didn't have the faintest idea of where they would be; and wandering around after dark was forbidden, so even if they were out and about he probably couldn't find them. Even being alone, though, seemed better than languishing in the room listening to others have a good time without him. He could go for a little while; all he needed to do was be back before it was ridiculously late and his bunkmate realized he wasn't in his bed.

"Come on boy," he said swiftly, calling to Sirius.

He deftly put on an invisibility cloak and hid Sirius beneath it then slipped out of the common room and down the hall.

* * *

* * *

When they finally managed to get outside, Draco sucked in the cold air with a deep breath. Then he sat against the cool stone walls of the castle, buried his face in Sirius' fur and cried just a little.

"Father is going to kill me… I'm so sorry. I've disappointed you all and nobody even likes me and I don't even know why I'm here…"

Sirius whined a little bit. It _had_ been something of a disappointment, as much as he was loathe to admit it. He'd wanted to be back in Gryffindor, to experience something of the old days when he'd wandered the halls with James, Remus and Peter. He wouldn't have voiced such thoughts to Draco, however, even if he could have. Instead, he licked the boy's tears away with his rough tongue and placed his head in Draco's lap.

Draco looked up at the stars, searching about for the constellation he shared his name with. The night was clear but cold, although Draco didn't seem to realize it. He grew so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice someone walking up to him.

"Hey."

The white-blond boy nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the unfamiliar voice. He looked up at the figure, an older boy clad in robes with a Hufflepuff prefect badge on his chest, and he paled.

"I'm sorry," he protested lamely, blinking and hoping that his eyes were cleared up. "I just needed some fresh air, I lost track of time, I was just… just…" He rambled, flustered at having been discovered.

"Whoa, slow down there," the boy say in a deep voice. "Relax. It's alright – you think you're the only first year who tries to wander off?" He noticed the robed and smiled. "Not all have so much help, though."

"So how did you find me?" He asked, biting his lip. "And how long have you been here?"

"Oh, I heard you leaving though I couldn't see you…" Draco blushed at this. "But I didn't come close. It looked like you needed your space. You're a new Hufflepuff, right?"

"Yeah," he said miserably.

"Well, that does make you my responsibility. I'm Cedric Diggory, one of the prefects as you can see.

"So tell me – why so grim?"

"This stupid house hates me," he pouted.

The boy gave him a sympathetic smile.

"And why would that be?"

"My stupid last name," he grumbled again.

"Ah. I see. Malfoy, right?" He nodded. "Well Draco – I'm assuming that's what you like to be called, feel free to correct me – I think you need to give it time."

"Yeah, right. Didn't you hear me? They all hate me."

"_Everybody_ in Hufflepuff?"

"Well…"

He smiled.

"I don't hate you. And I'll bet you'll find others who don't too."

Draco paused for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Regardless of what anyone else says, _I_ would like to get to know you. Tell me Draco – do you like Quidditch?"

"Like it?" His face suddenly lit up. "I love it!"

Cedric grinned.

"Well, I just so happen to be on the house team…"

"Really! Cool! What are you?"

"Seeker," he said casually.

"Wow… can you tell me what games are like? Do a lot of people come?"

"Oh yes, the houses are very competitive. Almost everybody turns out for the games. I'm guess you want to play some day?"

"You bet I do! I can't try out until I'm a second year, though," he sighed.

"Don't worry, that will come soon enough. We'd best get back inside though – we don't want to have to explain to Madame Pomfrey how you contracted pneumonia on your first day here, do we?"

He started to guide them back inside when Draco suddenly came to a half.

"Hey, Cedric?"

"Yes?"

"Am I in trouble over this? Will I get a detention?"

The prefect smiled and shook his head.

"No, it's alright. We should be fine going back inside and if a teacher stops us I'll say you're with me. Do keep in mind, though, that sneaking out is generally prohibited."

Draco grinned.

"I'll try to remember."

By the time they reached the Hufflepuff dorm, however, Draco was so sleepy and exhausted he neglected to glance over into the other bed to see who was rooming with him.

* * *

* * *

The following morning Draco went to the hall early enough to seek out Harry and Theodore before it got crowded. Sirius came with him and they barreled down the hall together, Draco in a brisk walk with Sirius padding at his feet. When they reached the hall they found that Theo was as prim and in order as ever; Harry on the other hand looked as though he'd rolled out of bed, pulled on a robe and come downstairs.

"Nice hair, Harry."

"Oh yeah," he said. "Well we'll see how yours looks when a prat wakes you up in the middle of the night…"

"Six o'clock is not the middle of the night. It is a perfectly acceptable time to begin the day."

"… and he starts going on about getting ready and practically pushes you out the door…"

"Well you didn't want to miss him did you?"

"… And I didn't even get to brush."

"As if it ever matters," Theo retorted, rolling his eyes.

"HEY!"

Draco laughed, finally feeling a little more at ease.

"I missed you guys," he said quietly.

The two settled and looked at him sympathetically.

"Tough break that. How is it?"

"Terrible," he sighed. "Well – OK, not totally. But this one kid, Zacharias Smith – it's as though he's been hating me half his life."

Harry nodded.

"I know what you mean. I've been OK, people just get weird sometimes. But Theo's gotten a bit of that too. The whole 'family' bit, saying he doesn't belong."

"What did you do?"

"Theo ignored it; I punched the kid in the face so now I'm joining Theo in detention," he said with a sheepish grin.

"Am I going to have to get in trouble just to be with you two?" He laughed, grabbing muffins as they took them outside, opting to sit by the lake where they could eat together and where Sirius would get a chance to run around.

"Speaking of which – want to go out tonight?" Harry whispered in a conspiratorial tone.

"Sure thing," he whispered back. "When and where and I'm there."

The three lounged by the lake, munching and slipping Sirius bits of food until Theodore warned them about getting back inside for classes to start. They nodded in agreement and went, though not before Draco cast a regretful last look at the surface of the water. He'd heard there was a giant squid down there which came out to socialize, and he'd been hoping he would get to see it. Such was not his luck however.

As they headed back, another sight distracted him; an owl was flying swiftly towards them.

"Is that Artemis?" Theodore inquired.

"Yeah…" Draco bit his lip. "I told my parents about the Hufflepuff thing, Dad must have sent a reply immediately…"

"Well, the envelope isn't red so at least it's not a Howler," Harry consoled him as they went inside.

Draco didn't reply, but focused on opening it up and giving Artemis a pat.

_My dear Draco,_

_Be assured that your mother and I feel no less towards you because of your placement. I know it must be a distressing time, to be surrounded by what are, undoubtedly, so many underachievers. Yet even this can work towards your benefit. Next to them you will look very good indeed and should have no trouble achieving house honors; though keep in mind that we expect excellence from you nevertheless. Head boy is chosen school-wide, as you recall. _

_Remember too, Draco, that the fidelity and loyalty for which Hufflepuffs are famous can be an asset to you. You must simply be sure that you are faithful and loyal to the right sorts of things. I trust you will still behave as a Malfoy no matter what your situation. _

_As difficult as it might be, I ask you to face any and all difficulty with the pride that befits your station. You are still our son; do us proud._

_- Lucius Malfoy _

He was silent for several moments after finishing the letter. At his feet, Sirius whined softly, wondering what was in the letter.

"Well?" Harry finally broke the pause.

"He doesn't seem angry," he said softly.

"Well that's good isn't it?"

"Come on, Draco," said Theo, shaking him softly. "We need to get to class."

"Yeah. OK." He shoved the letter in his bag then went to check his schedule and let Sirius back into his room before heading off. It seemed like a positive start to a new day, but there were still classes to go to in which Zacharias would be present.

And, for some strange reason, the phrase 'loyal to the right sorts of things' remained in his head, making him feel uneasy.

* * *

* * *

Many miles away, in a somewhat dilapidated little cottage, a mother's quill hovered above a piece of parchment as she tried to think of what to write, what she could say. She loved her son dearly; she loved all of her children.

But why _Slytherin_? Why that house, of all things?

Noticing her mother's mood, Ginny carefully snuck out the back and went to harass the lawn gnomes.

Stupid old Ron.

* * *

* * *

Sirius went to the room quietly enough and waited until everybody had gone. Then swiftly, so as not to attract any attention, he reverted to his human for and grabbed Draco's invisibility cloak. He walked out much more quietly than they had the other night and slipped down the empty halls trying to reorient himself. He knew he was by the kitchens and it wasn't hard to go from there.

It was good to be back, after all, but it was different where you were down at a dog's eye level. Much better to be walking upright, seeing the old familiar sights he had missed and dreamt about many nights in Azkaban.

It had been so long – surely a quick jaunt couldn't hurt.

* * *

* * *

And with that I shall leave off until the next time, wherein Draco finally heads to class, Sirius gets into hijinx and we see more of almost everybody.

Remember – helpful criticism is always welcome.


	20. Looking Up and Letting Down

No folks, your eyes aren't deceiving you. It's – a fairly quick update!

Also, as pointed out in the reviews, there was a slight error last chapter. Cedric would have only been Fourth year and only Fifth years and above are Prefects. I even checked what year he'd be but my math skills are somewhat lacking. Long story short, it stays for now but might get corrected.

* * *

* * *

"Ron got into Slytherin!" Ginny blurted out as soon as she walked into Luna's backyard. The blond girl looked up from the newspaper she was calmly reading and cocked her head at the other girl.

"Oh."

"Yeah, it's just about the stupidest thing he's ever done. Ever," she said with a grimace, flopping down on the grass beside Luna. "Mum's having fits and Dad's always anxious. I'm sure Fred and George are absolute furious too – they're going to be completely awful when they all have to be at home together – and someone still has to tell Bill and Charlie. But they're probably going to be mad too!"

"Percy?" Luna asked softly.

"Percy won't care as long as he doesn't break any rules," she petulantly huffed, tearing up grass bit by bit. "Up 'til now I thought nothing any of my brothers did could be worse than his prick attitude. Guess I was wrong."

"What about Draco and Harry and Theo?"

Guiltily, Ginny bit her lip.

"Didn't ask. Don't worry though. I'm sure we'll hear from those guys soon enough."

* * *

* * *

"Is it just me," Draco whispered as they wound their way through the halls. "Or is everybody staring at us?"

"More like they're staring at Harry," Theo whispered and the other boy blushed. "You should have seen them in the common room. Lining up, requests for autographs…"

"Really?"

"Yeah," Harry admitted, sounding frustrated. "If it hadn't been for the Weasley twins we might not have gotten away at all."

Draco gave him a smirk.

"I suppose I should feel flattered, then, to be a friend of the resident celebrity?"

His grin was returned with a punch in the arm.

"You're lucky you haven't caused a fight like Nott did yet. That was part of why I punched the kid – said Nott didn't belong and I didn't need a friend like him."

"Nice."

"Well I told him where to put it. I can decide on who I like and who I don't by myself, just fine."

"Oh thank you," Nott rolled his eyes. "My brave defender. Please do watch out for me when we're in detention with those ruffians."

The three started heading up a staircase, looking around as they did so.

"Do either of you know where you're headed?" Draco asked dubiously.

"I haven't a clue. But at least if we get lost, we're going to be lost together!" Harry said brightly. "And anyway, there's only so many places that the History of Magic Classroom could even be."

"I'll be Hermione Granger's found it already," Theodore muttered.

"Well, Transfiguration should be somewhere around there too. And why are you so sour about whether Hermione's there or not? You two seemed to get along well enough the other day." They stepped out onto the stone landing and tried to get through the crowd. They passed closed doors and other halls, looking for any sign of what might be their rooms. "Did something go wrong?"

Theo looked away and Harry shrugged.

"It's an academic thing, I think."

Nott huffed.

"Sorry to leave you guys so soon," Draco smiled, "But I believe this is my room. Good luck finding yours."

"Good luck dealing with that Smith kid," Harry rejoined. He leaned in. "Seriously, Draco," he said quietly, "It's not long. You'll be out of that class before you know it and then it will be lunch. And after lunch we have Herbology together so it'll be fi- " He froze mid-sentence and his eyes grew wide.

"Harry? Is something wrong?" Draco asked, backing out of the doorway.

"It's that teacher!" He whispered. "The one who hurt my scar at the Sorting Ceremony!"

"Teacher? Scar? What?" He spun around and saw a tall wizard with pale skin and a hooked nose who gave the three a brief glare as he walked by. "Harry, what's going on? It's just Professor Snape. My dad knows him – a bit uppity, shows a lot of favoritism towards Slytherin, he's the Head after all, and more than a little unpleasant. But you look like he just slapped you!"

"Harry," Nott whispered urgently, "We're going to be late!"

With a shake of his head, Harry snapped out of it. "I'll tell you later, Draco."

The two then disappeared into the flow of witches and wizards, many of whom seemed to be trying to get a peek at Harry, some more blatantly staring than others. Draco watched them until they disappeared then slipped into the classroom, found an empty seat and pulled a quill and parchment out of his bag. It seemed to him that Harry had probably assessed McGonagall well – extremely intelligent but also extremely strict.

As he waited for the class to begin, he fidgeted and tried not to look at any of the other Hufflepuffs who were drifting into the room. He fervently wished that it had been a double class, that there were Ravenclaws or Gryffindors to consort with. Not Slytherins though; with Weasley there, they'd probably be as bad or worse.

He couldn't avoid contact any longer, however, when a girl finally sat down in the seat next to him and tapped him on the arm. For a long moment he considered doodling on his parchment and ignoring her altogether, but remembered Cedric's comments. It wouldn't do to completely isolate himself from his house, and if she wasn't going to be friendly then at least he would make it no fault of his. Twisting in his chair he turned towards her and smiled.

"Hey," he said, his mind racing for a name. "… Hannah is it?"

For a moment the girl looked surprised that he had even turned around, to say nothing of knowing her name. After a beat, however, she smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Hannah Abbot." She fiddled with one of her bond pigtails, twirling the hair. "And you're Draco Malfoy, right?"

He swallowed, then nodded. "Yes," he confirmed, quietly.

"I was talking to Ernie and Justin last night," she began and Draco twitched nervously. "Look, I just wanted to say that I think it was really awful the way Zach was going on last night. I should have said something then but I didn't know you'd take it so hard. I wanted to talk to you in the common room, but you disappeared right away and girls aren't allowed up in the boy's dorms that late. Anyway, you seemed pretty nice and I thought I'd let you know that."

"Oh." Draco was rather at a loss for what to say. "Um, well. Thanks?" He gave her a grin which faded in a moment. "But what about Ernie and Justin? You said you talked to them. What do they think?"

"They're a little bit hesitant," she admitted, noticing the two engrossed in conversation on the other side of the room. "They don't really know you and Zach is a really, shall we say, _forceful_ personality. Half of what he says goes over Justin's head, though. I'm sure once they know you and you start proving Zach wrong, things will get better."

He nodded, feeling relieved.

"Funny, Cedric Diggory told me the same thing the other night."

"You met Cedric?" She smiled. "Isn't he the greatest? He's on the Quidditch team and everything!"

Draco was about to make a reply when Zacharias suddenly strode into the room. He glared at the two; Draco tried desperately to keep his face blank of either hurt or resentment, but Hannah returned the glare and he moved on to his seat. Beneath the table Hannah nudged Draco's foot and when he turned towards her she winked.

McGonagall entered soon after and their focus abruptly shifted to focusing on the lecture, taking copious amounts of notes and focusing as hard as they possibly could to turn a match into a pin. Draco only succeeded in setting his on fire (at which Smith laughed) and giving himself a headache. Even so, he still felt much better than he did at the beginning of class and even considered eating in the hall with his housemates. Staying away would only give Zach's arguments of contempt strength. All Draco had to do was prove him wrong – however long it took to do so.

* * *

* * *

"Isn't this class the most boring things you've ever had to attend?" Harry whispered. "Isn't it Theo? Theo?"

"Be quiet!" The charcoal-haired boy hissed, writing a little faster. "Or I won't hear the lecture!" He glanced sideways at Hermione. "She has more notes than I do, doesn't she? At least twenty lines more! I'm missing things! Or not writing fast enough, one of the two." He focused intently on his paper.

Harry gave Hermione a glance and saw her writing just as devotedly. He sighed and went back to counting down the seconds until they could get out of the place. He looked around a bit and saw fellow classmates not only failing to take notes, but struggling to stay awake.

'Figures,' he thought, 'that something like this would be my first class.'

* * *

* * *

"Now see?" Pansy nodded with her head to indicate what she was looking at. "It's just as you said. Not even a day and already they're fawning over him like he invented Quidditch."

Ron made a derisive sound as he watched the students swarm around Harry, who was fighting his way though to get to class. It seemed that everybody was whispering about him, trying to get a look and see the scar.

"Well see how long it lasts," he told her with a smirk. "But I don't intend to sit here staring – we'd better get to Herbology." He sighed and frowned. "I'm sure my robes are going to be a bloody mess by the end of it."

"Oh! That reminds me," Pansy said with a smile. "I have a little present for you."

"For me?" He could already feel his ears growing pink. "But why? I mean, I never gave anything to you. Didn't expect anything – you don't have to, you know." He feel silent, embarrassed at his stammering.

"It's quite alright. And it's not just for you, it's for the House." She handed him a wrapped package. "New robes. That Muggle-loving father of yours keeps you all in such poverty that I knew you couldn't afford them and you're far too tall for those you have on, so I urgently owl-posted for some last night. But we can't have Slytherin looking shabby, now can we?"

Ron flushed again, but this time with shame and anger. He suddenly became self-conscious of his hand-me-down robes and squirmed, feeling as though everybody could see him and was snickering. His father's face came to mind, and he realized in that instant how much he'd never had materially because of his father's fondness for Muggles, eccentric tendencies and lack of ambition. Silently, he promised himself that he would never be like that.

"Thank you," he told her quietly. "I _will_ pay you back."

"I have no doubt of it," she said softly.

A moment passed before he stuffed the robes into his schoolbag and they meandered outdoors to where the greenhouses were, mixing in with their fellow Slytherins and Ravenclaws. Crabbe and Goyle sat on either side of them, throwing the occasional clod of dirt at the backs of the unwitting Ravenclaws, making Pansy snicker. They all were quite dirty by the end of the lesson and when Pansy reached up to wipe a smudge of dirt off of Ron's nose, his ears burnt a second time.

"Come on," she said. "Lets get back to the dorms, get you cleaned up and see how those new robes look."

He nodded, feeling more awkward and gangly than ever.

* * *

* * *

It was rather problematic, not having opposable thumbs, Sirius realized. Or a wand. He certainly couldn't open up any of the secret doors he knew about and being a wanted man, pranking Snape was out of the question, at least for the moment. Being a dog was rather difficult. However, there were ways to make up for it. He padded about, sniffing the floor, trying to catch a whiff here or there of Harry or Draco. It was best to avoid the heavily populated halls, since a pet wandering about might cause a stir, as well as to be sure to keep an eye and an ear out for Peeves who would doubtless get at least some joy out of harassing animals.

Speaking of which… He glanced up and saw a pair of bulging yellow eyes looking at him

"Mrow?" Mrs. Norris went.

He growled deep in his throat and bared his teeth. He'd never liked that cat, anyway. She gave a yowl and with a bark and a snap the chase was on. They wound through halls, in empty rooms, up and down stairs until she finally reached a deserted hall. Sirius barked at her when, unexpectedly, there was a set of return barks from behind a sealed door. He froze and she slipped off while he stared at the door, curious. Another bark was returned, but then he caught the appalling scent of a rather dirty human making his way towards him.

Filch.

Sirius dashed out of there in a hurry, worried about Draco getting into trouble if he was caught. He made a mental note of where the door was, however, and promised himself to talk to Draco and Harry about it the first chance he got to be human again.

In the meanwhile, there had to be something in old greasy-scalp's dungeon he could slobber on, scratch or otherwise taint.

He just had to be careful about doing it. And for the second time in as many hours, he cursed his wandless and handless form.

* * *

* * *

"Mistress?" Dobby poked his head in the room uncertainly. "Dobby is thinking that it is the fifth time mistress has cleaned that table today. Dobby is quite certain that it is clean."

"I thought we raised him right!" She wiped the table down again then waved her wand at the fireplace. "I failed him! I failed him and that's all there is to it. His whole life is ruined, he'll never find a job, never get respect. And how could Lucius be so… so _calm_!"

"You has cleaned the fireplace nine times now, mistress," Dobby reminded her timidly. "And Dobby can clean it."

"Hufflepuff! HUFFLEPUFF!" She moaned, twisting her robe in her hands. For a moment she paused and collected herself. Then she straightened up and headed towards the kitchen. "I'm going to start making dinner," she told the house elf stonily.

"No mistress!" Wailed Dobby. "Dobby thinks it is a very bad idea for mistress to be handling knives!"

She glared and Dobby snuck out of the room, deciding to go and dust in the far reaches of the manor until she called for him.

* * *

* * *

And that's all for now. As for Narcissa – she still loves Draco but she thinks he'll be at a disadvantage and blames herself.

I hope you all enjoyed – and thanks as always for so many reviews, favorites, alerts, and C2s.


	21. Plans for Detention

A big thanks, as always, to all previous readers for stopping by again, and thanks as well for those who've reviewed! To all new readers, I hope you enjoy!

OOO

Draco combed out his hair, still wet from the shower he'd taken after Herbology. He'd gotten rather used to dirt over the years and wasn't overly fussy about sweat but the scent of the fertilizer Professor Sprout had them using made even his nose crinkle. Many of the other Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, Harry and Theo included, had gone off and showered as well, so it wasn't simply fussiness on his part. Despite the fertilizer, however, he found that he quite liked the class. It was relaxing to be able to work beside his friends and Professor Sprout was an open, friendly witch who, like Cedric, had shown little uneasiness over his family name.

Satisfied with quickly tugging out the tangles, Draco rooted through his belongings, trying to figure out where he'd left his invisibility cloak. After a few minutes of frustration, he realized that it was quite possible that Sirius had borrowed it at some point during the day. Unfortunately, Sirius was not in the room at the time and he realized that he could be just about anywhere in the massive school. The prospects of finding him were slim to none, considering he had no way whatsoever to tell where he was.

As luck would have it, however, there came the sound of footsteps coming up the spiral stairwell and a soft attention-getting cough. He turned around to find Hannah outside with Sirius beside her. Her hair was wet as well and lay in dark strands over her robe. For a moment they stood in silence, then she smiled and gestured towards the dog.

"I saw him hiding behind a suit of armor," she explained. "I think he might have crossed Mrs. Norris or something. It looked like he was hiding. I remembered him from the train and figured that he must have been waiting to slip back inside when someone else opened the door."

"Oh."

They stood in silence for a moment before she turned.

"I need to get ready for dinner," she said before reaching down and petting Sirius on the head. He barked and she giggled, and Draco smiled as well. "Dragon's a good boy, isn't he? He just needs to learn not to sneak out, isn't that right boy?" She said, scratching him behind the ears.

"How do you know his name?" Draco wondered, a little surprised.

"His tag, silly," she laughed.

"Oh yeah. That's right. Dragon is a good dog, though. The best."

"Good name for him too. I'm sure he's fierce," she said with a wide grin. Then she stood and left for the girls dormitories, closing the door behind her.

Draco quickly motioned for Sirius to get onto the bed, pulled the curtains shut, then turned to 'Dragon.'

"I need that cloak back," he whispered in the dog's ear, "So I can go out with Harry tonight. OK? Lead me to it?"

Dragon barked and Draco stood. As he straightened and brushed the curtain aside, he found himself face to face with Justin.

"Hello," Draco greeted him politely. Justin nodded in return, and then Draco backed out of the awkward exchange by running down the steps with his dog.

It didn't take Sirius long to lead him through the winding corridors to a deserted hall where he'd left the inconspicuous pile of fabric behind an unassuming bust. As Draco watched Sirius meander the halls with ease he wondered internally how much sneaking around Sirius must have done as a student to be able to know the place so thoroughly, even after so many years. The knowledge had certainly returned to him quickly and he hardly had any trouble, especially compared to Draco who, like his fellow first years, was still hoping to make it to class, let alone explore other ins and outs.

Draco scooped up the cloak and tucked it into his school bag, then hurried back to the Hufflepuff dorm. He was curious as to why Sirius had left the cloak behind at all, but he supposed that question would have to wait for the evening. He'd already decided with Harry that the only place they could probably ever converse with Sirius in person was in the Forbidden Forest. There weren't likely to be many, or even any, of the students or faculty there and the creatures probably didn't know who Sirius even was. As long as they didn't stray too far in they would probably be safe too.

He re-entered the dorm to find Hannah there in front of the fire playing a game of wizard chess with another girl who had plaited hair, Susan Bones if he was not mistaken. Ernie Macmillan sat on a third side of the board watching them play. Before he could dash through the room and up the steps, Sirius barked and drew Hannah's attention. She waved them over and Sirius willingly trotted next to the board. Draco bit his lip and followed suit, settling himself down next to Sirius and giving Ernie and Susan small smiles.

"Look, guys," Hannah said enthusiastically, "Isn't he the most beautiful dog you've ever seen?"

Sirius licked her hand and Susan stroked him as well. Draco relaxed slightly then glanced down at the board. They seemed to be rather evenly matched and he wondered if they were playing seriously or casually. As he studied the board, Ernie interrupted his train of thought.

"So how did you like class today?"

"Hm?" Draco looked up. "Oh. Well, it was tough I guess. Rough having to do so much work for McGonagall. I liked Professor Sprout's class, though. Aside from the fertilizer that is." He paused for a moment and smiled. "We have a lot of bizarre plants in the woods behind our house and my dad keeps a greenhouse stocked with all sorts of potion making plants, so it will be pretty useful getting to know how to identify some of that stuff and what can be done with it." Ernie nodded appreciatively.

"So you like to muck about in the woods, then?"

"Oh yeah. I love animals and stuff and its great having so much to explore. It's not always good; once I nearly died form a boomslang bite as a kid. But other than snakes, I really enjoy animals. It's too bad we don't get Care of Magical Creatures until next year."

"Whoa – a boomslang? Seriously?" Ernie's eyes were wide and intent.

"My parents figured it escaped from the potion materials. I got pretty lucky, but it turned out OK."

"I've never even seen one." He shuddered. "Don't think I'd really want to either. Honestly, I'm not too big on the outdoors. I like walks and all that, but when it comes to going through forests and the like, well, it all just seems a bit messy and risky depending on where you are."

"You let risky stop you?"

"I take it that you don't, then."

"Not for a moment."

"Bit of a trouble maker, aren't you?" Ernie asked, coming around to join the girls in fussing over Sirius.

"I prefer the term 'trouble finder,'" he said in an off-hand manner. "I don't go looking for it exactly. It just seems to run into me."

The other boy gave him a quizzical smile. "Is that so? It runs into you?"

"Sounds terribly exciting," Hannah teased.

"You bet it is," he answered sincerely. "You wouldn't believe some of the stuff Dragon and I have done!"

From there the conversation drifted into anecdotes that the four of them shared about experiences with animals and childhood, ranging from slightly exaggerated tales of close escapes to Susan reminiscing quietly about a beloved guinea pig which met a rather unfortunate end. Time slipped by and before long it was time for dinner; Draco tossed the bag under his bed and then the group went down together to eat, continuing their conversation all the while.

OOO

It was a strange kind of pleasure, Ron thought, to realize that you had something all of your own that was brand new and made as if it were created just for you. He was still dimly aware that beneath the new robes he was still a Weasley, and therefore, ultimately, still poor. But seeing himself in the mirror, well-dressed and groomed with Pansy hovering at his side, allowed him to buy into an illusion if only for a moment.

"See? I told you they'd look good. Don't slouch when you wear them though. You're a Slytherin; have a little pride." He stood up straighter and she beamed. "Even better. Now come on, lets get down to dinner."

Crabbe and Goyle flanked them as they walked and after a moment or two of making their way in silence, Ron found his voice.

"Your detention with McGonagall – are you serving it soon?"

"Yes," she said rolling her eyes. "Two days from now. And it will have Nott _and_ Potter in it."

Ron's face instantly twisted.

"That prick. He thinks he's so far beyond all of the rest of us; it makes me sick. I don't understand what my sister sees in him; but then again perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. My whole family is like that, no regard for dignity whatsoever. They'll associate with any riffraff that comes along."

She nodded.

"What I don't understand is how Draco got mixed up in all of that," he mused. "From what I understand the Malfoy's are a prestigious family."

"Draco? He's been a snotty little beast since we were kids. Always playing with that stupid dog of his; his mother and father are well-bred enough but they did a rather poor job of raising him. Spoiled him, I suppose, and now he's beyond any reining in."

"That's a shame. He might have turned out well otherwise."

"Possibly. But no sense in dwelling on it. Draco is what he is and has been for years; I've never met anyone so stubborn and so rough. He's ill-behaved, even by Muggle standards."

"That is pretty terrible. What about Nott?"

"Fell in with Draco young," she said with a shrug as they turned a corner. "Again, a good family; but his mother's dead and I don't suppose his father kept a very close watch on him. No sense of propriety or pride in him either. At least not proper, wizardly pride. They think they're so great – they don't even know what a great wizard is!"

Ron nodded in agreement as they went down the hall. While they were bustling through the crowd, he caught sight of a large girl their age in green robes. He gave her a quick nod as they hurried past but felt a nudge at his side as he did so.

"Don't, Ron," she whispered.

"But isn't she in Slytherin?"

"Yes, but that's Millicent Bulstrode; she's a half-blood. Don't waste your time with her, she's probably only in our house because she's sneaky and maybe ambitious. Not that it's going to get her anywhere."

"Oh," Ron replied, unable to think of any other response.

"Anyway, about that detention; Potter will be in it with Nott and you know what a hothead those two can be if you push the right buttons. So I figure it should be pretty easy to goad one or the both of them to a Wizard's Duel. Get them out of the common rooms, wandering the halls at night, and then have some third party do a little whistle-blowing."

It took Ron a moment or two to figure out what she meant. When he did, he pointed at himself in disbelief.

"You mean – me?"

"Yes of course; who else, silly? The three of us will be in detention and they might make the connection but you'll be a little more above suspicion. Are you in?"

He stiffed. "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Good." A smile flitted across her face. "We'll have double potions with them that day too. I can't wait to see how Snape handles them."

The name rang a bell in Ron's head and he frowned.

"Snape? The potions master?" She nodded. "My brothers have gotten into trouble with him an awful lot from what they've said at home. Do you think he'll – I mean – is he going to recognize the name? He won't hold it against me, will he?"

"I'll talk to him," she promised as the came into the Great Hall and sat down at the table. "Trust me; he'll listen. It won't be a problem."

OOO

Twin faces slid into the seats across from Harry and Nott and gave them roguish grins.

"Heard you've got detention with a few Slytherin ponces," George remarked offhandedly, taking a roll.

"Unfortunately," Theodore snapped.

"Don't mind him," Harry interjected. "He's just sore about it because he's doesn't usually get into trouble. Or at least doesn't get caught," he said, grinning at Theodore who kicked his leg beneath the table.

"I see." Fred smirked. "Well, as it so happens, George and I are veterans of McGonagall detentions."

"Really?" Harry feigned surprise. "I would never have guess."

"Shocking, isn't it? Be a little more polite though," George admonished. "We're about to impart some extremely valuable words of wisdom on how to stand two hours with a bunch of slimy Slytherins."

Theodore glanced up at them from his plate. "Do you still dislike them that much, knowing your brother is one?"

The freckled faces grew stony for a moment, then Fred shrugged.

"Ron always was the stupid one. Anyway, ready to hear our magnificent plan?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "If you insist."

"That's the spirit!" George laughed. "Now listen – you know what a Wizard's Duel is, right?" They nodded. "Well, I've got dome dirt on all three of them that we'd be very willing to pass along to you. Bring it up and you'll have no problem goading them into one."

"And, do tell, what will this information cost us?"

"Free of charge," Fred winked. "Consider it a professional courtesy to two very promising young Griffindors."

"Anyway, just get them to agree to it. That way you can get them to be out in the halls at night – which is, as I'm sure you know, a rather punishable offense," George advised them, leaning in and hushing his voice.

"And the teachers will know they're out there how exactly?" Theodore inquired.

"Leave that to us," Fred replied.

"The teachers will believe you?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Not us. Her," said George, nodding to Hermione. "I'm sure that if we just discuss what we might have seen or heard about a few young Slytherins out on a nightly escapade, she'll go running to tell someone as fast as her feet can carry her. And they'll definitely believe her. I haven't seen someone so squeaky clean since Percy."

The two first-years paused for a moment, then broke into smiles and nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan," Harry said with a grin.

OOO

The sun was sliding below the horizon when Draco, Harry and Nott slipping into the forest. Once they were beyond the first line of trees and immersed in relative darkness, the dark shape at their feet changed and they saw Sirius standing next to them.

"Hello, boys," he laughed. "It's been some time."

"Hey Sirius," Harry was grinning.

"So tell me," said Draco, "What were you doing with my invisibility cloak? And why did you take it off?"

Sirius looked at him rather sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'd started out in this form and thought I'd wander the place a bit, but after a few close calls with Peeves and that cat, I figured it was safe to go in my Animagus form. I dragged the cloak behind a statue to hide it; but it was a bit of a problem, though, since I didn't have hands after that – and let me tell you boys right now, that really limits what you can do."

"What did you end up doing, out of curiosity?"

"Well, the door to the room is enchanted. And I don't have a wand anyway; plus I probably shouldn't be arousing suspicion by trying to break in. So I just left him a 'present' outside of his office."

Theodore frowned. "How disgustingly juvenile."

Sirius laughed in return. "You just don't know Snape yet; I think you'll find you'll change your tune."

"Well, we'll find out on Friday, won't we?" Harry frowned. "I haven't heard anything good though; and I could swear he made my scar hurt."

"I'm sure you were just imagining things" Theodore rolled his eyes, but Sirius motioned for him to be quiet.

"Made your scar hurt?" He asked curiously. "How do you suppose he could do that?"

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know. Couldn't tell you. I just know how I felt."

Sirius looked pensive for a moment and the boys glanced at one another until Draco finally broke the silence.

"Sirius – you're not mad at me are you? About the house, I mean?" He looked down at the leaves among his feet.

"I'll miss the Gryfiindor Common Room," he said and Draco's face fell, "But I'll live." He put his hand on Draco's shoulder. "The important thing is that you're in the place where you need to be."

"But Smith…"

"Don't worry about Smith. That Abbot girl seems to like you just fine, right? And those other two as well. Which, by the way, you can thank me for."

"Thank you! For what? Barking?"

"For offering my polished skills of socialization to help you with your introductions," Sirius replied with a smirk.

Draco looked at him skeptically for a moment, but then his grey eyes grew wide. He looked about for a moment, and then lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Guys, I think we should leave."

"Why? Is something wrong?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. It's just a feeling. Really, I think we should."

Sirius gave him a dubious glance. "We just got here…"

"Please, Sirius!" He gave him an anxious look and shuddered slightly.

"Alright, alright. Let's go."

In an instant, Sirius changed and Draco pulled the cloak around the four of them, dropping Harry and Theo off first at the portrait of the Fat Lady then heading down towards the kitchens to his own common room. Once in, he climbed the steps and fell into bed, feeling strangely cold and nauseous. He peeked out of the window and looked towards the Forbidden Forest; nothing seemed amiss and perhaps his feelings had been wrong. Still, he couldn't shake his apprehension.

He slid beneath the covers and Sirius padded into the bed bedside him. Despite the warmth of his friend, however, Draco had trouble falling asleep, and when he finally did his dreams were dark and fitful, though hazy enough that he could not remember them when the dawn came the following day.

OOO

I hope you've all enjoyed this installment. Remember – reviews are gratefully welcomed and advice on improving is even more appreciated. :-)


	22. The Potion Master's Questions

And after a lengthy winter vacation, broken-computer induced hiatus, I am back, a shiny new compy in hand, with a chapter! Enjoy.

OOO

When Draco walked into the Hufflepuff bathroom the next morning, he found Justin already there and brushing his teeth. When he noticed Draco, he gave the silver-haired boy a quizzical look then quickly rinsed his mouth out and turned around. Draco paused, aware he wanted to talk and feeling unaccountably anxious about what the boy might have to say.

"Hey," he asked in a casual tone, "you alright?"

"What?" Draco asked blankly.

"Well, not to intrude or anything but you were getting kind of weird last night."

"Last night? I'm sorry. I wasn't aware…"

"You were sleeping. Kept saying stuff. Nightmare, maybe?"

His cheeks growing red, Draco coughed. "Well, I suppose, maybe. What was I saying?"

"Something about not wanting somebody to go through something. You weren't exactly clear."

"Oh. I… don't know?" He laughed nervously. "Really, I don't remember anything. If I'm bothering you, though, I'm sure we could get Professor Sprout or somebody to work a silence charm."

Justin nodded then turned to gather his things. Draco seized the opportunity to make an embarrassed beeline for the showers and didn't turn around to nod goodbye or see the boy leave.

He tried to push any and all memories of his strangely recurring dream to the back of his mind and instead focused on finding Harry and Theodore. It was curious why he hadn't remembered the dream; but if what Justin said about his nocturnal mumblings was true, it was the same dream as ever and it always made him on edge. Unconsciously he quickened his pace, agitated by the dream and, on reflection, thoughts of the forest from the previous night. Draco was so intent on finding the others that he barely noticed the hand on his arm until it jarred him out of his walking pattern.

"Hey," came a voice from behind him. "You're not disappearing again today, are you? I haven't seen you ate the table more than once or twice since we started school."

"Oh." Draco smiled and tried to make himself relax. "Hello, Hannah. I was just looking for Harry and Theodore. I usually eat breakfast with them. You know. My friends and all."

"Well don't you think you should eat _all_ your meals with your house? We're supposed to be your friends too."

"Yeah, I guess…"

"I know things didn't go so well the first time you ate with us, but the second time was better, wasn't it? Everybody's calmed down by now. Besides – don't you want to get to know us?" She grinned and after a pause, Draco nodded.

"Alright. I suppose they can eat without me for once." He shifted his books under his arms and pointed at her. "If Zachary slaps me with a pancake, however, I'm holding you personally responsible."

She laughed and they caught up with Susan and Ernie as they entered the Great Hall.

OOO

"He's eating with them again!" Harry grumped, pouring himself a glass of juice.

"A wizard eating with the members of his house? Shame! Scandal! Whatever will the school do?"

"You don't have to be so sardonic, Nott. Just because we have Potions and you get detention later today."

"Actually, I'm no longer sardonic; at the moment I'm astonished you know the meaning of 'sardonic.'"

"Ha, ha, ha. Another joke like that and I'm going to hex you. Or better yet, I'll hex your quills so you can't take notes."

Theodore rolled his eyes and grabbed a biscuit.

"I'd say I'd do the same for you, but I doubt it would make any difference." He snapped.

"You really are in a mood, aren't you?"

"Well, yes." He sighed. "I suppose. I'm not looking forward to this you know."

"Ah, it can't possibly be that bad."

"That's not really comforting, coming from you. I've had quite enough assurances from you and Draco to know never to trust them. Besides, there is also the… you know. The other thing."

"Why Nott, that isn't the tone of chickening out I hear, is it? You're still going to go through with it aren't you?"

"Yes, yes, I suppose so." He dipped a tea bag into a cup of steaming water he'd just poured, letting it steep. "Although I can't say I'm comfortable about the whole thing. With our luck we'll probably get another set of detentions."

"Relax. It will be fine!"

"I still don't trust that; though perhaps I should be less worried about getting into trouble and more about the fact that I have no intention whatsoever of backing out. I'm afraid you two have managed to thoroughly corrupt me," he said as he blew across the surface of the tea.

"It was a job well done, if I might say so." A Harry reached for another piece of toast, the owls flew in and Hedwig dropped a letter in front of him.

"What's that?" Nott inquired after swallowing.

"An invite from Hagrid to go visit him this afternoon. Can I borrow your quill to reply?"

Theodore casually tossed him a quill from the outer pocket of his bag. "There you are. We should probably tell Draco."

"If he isn't too busy with his Hufflepuff friends," Harry muttered sarcastically while scribbling his reply. The other boy laughed.

"You really are incorrigible, you know that? You feel bad for him and want him to cheer up and then when he finally makes friends you get all hot under the collar."

"Only teasing. Really. But he didn't have to stop eating breakfast with us."

"It was once! Who said he'd stopped? Anyway, we're going to be late if we don't hurry. Think we should try to grab him on the way out?"

"Sure," Harry replied, pointing. "He's right over there, so grab your bag and let's go. We might not even be late for class this time!" He stood and began making his way towards the Hufflepuffs who were just getting up to leave. "Oi! Draco!"

Draco spun around, as did the boy and girl who were flanking him. His face lit up when he saw the two Gryffindors coming towards him.

"Hey Harry!"

"Glad to see you haven't forgotten us," Harry sniffed in an injured fashion. Next to him, Nott rolled his eyes.

"Come off it. Draco, we got an invite from Hagrid to go and see him today around three. Want to come?"

"Sure! I'll bet he'd love to see Dragon. And I'd love to as him some stuff about the forest and all. Say, can these guys come too?" He gestured towards the other Hufflepuffs without waiting for an answer. "Harry, Theo, this is Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan. Hannah, Ernie, this is Harry Potter and Theodore Nott." As they were shaking hands, a second girl rounded the table and came over to them. "Oh, and Susan Bones," he amended. "I'll bet you guys could come too if you'd like."

"Where are we going?" Asked Susan.

"Visiting Hagrid, the groundskeeper." Theodore filled her in.

"The groundskeeper?" Susan sounded a bit shocked.

"He's a really cool guy," Draco assured her. "He knows a ton about plants and animals, plus he lives right out next to the Forbidden Forest. We could probably peek in if we tried!" Nott cleared his throat just then and gave Draco what he hoped was a significant look. "Or not."

Before any of them had a chance to reply, their group was cut in half by Smith as he barged through them.

"What's his problem?" Harry sounded annoyed.

"Everything," Susan said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, everything being mostly me," Draco told them, slightly embarrassed.

"So that's the kid you were telling us about," Nott realized.

"Yes."

"Well, I hate to cut this short, but we've got Potions. And the last class I want to be late for is one that Severus Snape is teaching," said Nott. "We'd better get moving. Three o'clock?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Draco assured him. "We can meet by the doors."

The Gryffindors nodded then made a break for the dungeons while the Hufflepuffs meandered off in another direction, asking Draco questions about the groundskeeper as they went.

OOO

It surprised Ron just slightly to see how well Pansy seemed to adjust to the cold air of the dungeon where the Potions class was held. He felt a chill that, while not expressly cold, seemed to seep through his clothing and his stomach twisted a bit when he saw the racks of mysterious things in bottles and canisters.

He took his seat next to Pansy, the two of them sandwiched between Crabbe and Goyle, and set down his books just in time to cast a scowl in the direction of Potter and Nott who had just noisily bustled in, laughing with a couple of the other Gryffindor first years. The murmurs of conversation that were echoing around the stone walls quickly grew silent when a tall, hook-nosed wizard glided into the room. He took out a sheet of parchment and a quill and started listing names.

When he got to Harry's name, he fixed the boy with an icy glare that couldn't have pleased Ron more. Snape went on to call him a celebrity in an affected tone that cause Pansy to giggle and Ron shot him a smug look when Harry turned towards the sound. Ron got his own uncomfortable moment, however, when Snape reached his name.

"Weasley? Aren't you sitting with the wrong House?" He asked with a hint of disdain that made Ron want to curl up and hide. Already his family's reputation preceded him.

"With all due respect sir," spoke a female voice next to him, "he's here with us, not like his brothers."

"I should hope he is not like his brothers," Snape remarked as he checked off the name. "And that he can fight his own battles."

Ron's embarrassed blush grew worse as a stifled sound came from the Gryffindor side of the room and when he turned his head Pansy shot him an apologetic glance and mouthed the word 'sorry.' The rest of roll was over in a moment but it was followed by a long speech on the beauty of potion making that Ron felt barely able to stay awake through. Fear of Snape kept him upright, however, and he resisted the urge to nod off as easily as he did in Professor Binns' class.

That, and the fact that paying close enough attention to excel at Potions was a surefire was to separate himself from the rest of the Weasley brood, most of whom – except for Percy of course – had a well established disliking of Snape and disdain towards doing well for in his class.

OOO

Harry, too, was lost in thought, creeped out just slightly by how much Snape seemed to enjoy the thought of simmering cauldrons and ensnaring senses. He was, however, sufficiently at attention to sit up straight when he was abruptly addressed.

"Potter!" He nearly dropped his quill as he shot forward. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Oh, um…" He racked his brain for a moment. "Draught of Living Death," he said, snapping his fingers after a pause. "That's it, right?"

Snape was still for a moment, looking almost nonplussed. Nott noticed out of the corner of his eye that Hermione Granger's hand, which had started to rise, crept back down and she looked vaguely disappointed that Harry had answered.

"I see we have a clever one on our hands," Snape said in a cold whisper. "And what if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

"I'd bring you a goat and let you do the stomach extraction yourself, sir," he said with a wry smile as Theodore kicked him beneath the table. Snape's countenance grew stonier and he drew closer, looming over the table.

"Do you think you're funny, Potter?"

"No, sir, not at all."

"Because I assure you, you're not. And Gryffindor will be losing five points for your cheek."

"Hey! I answered your questions, didn't I?"

"Ten, now, Potter. And it will be more if you continue."

Harry opened his mouth to reply again when another sharp kick from Theodore caused him to close it and slump back down in his seat. Snape began crossing the room, and then spun around suddenly just as Harry thought he was free.

"The difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Oh come on! What is that, a trick? They're the same stupid thing!" Harry was practically shouting, impatient and annoyed. "It's all just names for aconite!"

"Another ten, Potter, bringing you up to twenty points lost," Snape replied before turning around again. Harry nearly jumped up, but Theodore grabbed his arm and clamped a hand around Harry's mouth.

"Nice job pretending to be a newcomer to the wizarding world," he hissed in a whisper.

"What was I suppose to do, get them wrong and look like an idiot?!"

"Yes, now shut up before he hears us!" Theo let go of the boy and sat back down in his own seat.

Moments later, they were divided up into groups and Theodore found himself with Harry, trying to keep track of a dozen things at once. Noticing the boy next to him about to stir in more ingredients, he elbowed him sharply.

"Not those," he hissed. "Don't add the quills until you've taken the cauldron off the fire."

The heavyset boy suddenly realized his error and hastily set down the quills, removing the cauldron and letting it cool slightly before adding them. As he stirred them in he gave Theo a grateful smile.

"Thanks a lot. I'm Neville," he whispered.

"Theodore. And don't thank me – just watch what you're doing, ok? This is not the teacher to slip up with."

Neville nodded in nervous agreement and while Snape was over with the Slytherins, praising Pansy's methodology, Theodore kept an eye on the Gryffindor cauldrons, trying to avert any impending disasters he happened to catch. An hour later, he was relieved when they turned in samples of the potions to be graded and nothing completely terrible had happened. Nothing had dissolved, burnt or otherwise been damaged and all the Gryffindors were mostly uninjured, save for a slight burn on Seamus' part.

Harry, however, was still seething from the first part of the class.

"He absolutely hates me!" He fumed. "I can't figure it out! I never even saw him before and he acts like I'm some kind of juvenile delinquent!"

"Harry, you _are _a borderline juvenile delinquent."

"Maybe! But he's not supposed to know that yet, not when I haven't even done anything!"

"Cheer up," Nott replied. "It could be worse. You could have lost 30 points. And anyway, we get to see Hagrid, so that should take our mind off of things; at least until detention."

"I guess…" Harry drifted off, the issue of Snape still clearly bothering him. "And Si… and you-know-who was right; he deserves exactly what he gets."

OOO

Draco got back to his room and tossed his bag onto the bed, relieved to be rid of its weight. At a whistle from his, Dragon stood up and tilted his head curiously.

"Come on boy," he said eagerly, checking to be sure his wand was in his pocket. "We're going to see Hagrid!" Dragon barked and followed him down to the common area where Susan and Ernie were waiting.

"Hey!" Susan waved. "Just a minute and Hannah will be down too… and there she is!" She gestured the girl over and the party of four headed out the door, making for the front of the castle where Harry and Theodore waited.

As they walked through the halls, Draco began to feel slightly on edge. It would be the first time that his Gryffindor friends interacted with his newer Hufflepuff acquaintances for any sizable length of time and he was anxious that the meeting would go well. Hopefully Hagrid's relaxed attitude would keep things call and the rest of the Hufflepuffs seemed to be amiable with Gryffindors, but one never knew.

The sight of Harry and Theodore waiting was a welcome one, however, and Draco soon realized his fears were unfounded. They were all laughing and joking soon enough as they slogged down to the cottage at the edge of the forest, many of them eager for a much-needed visit with a friend.

OOO

Thanks once again to all of you who've been reading and enjoying this. As ever, constructive criticism is much appreciated and reviews are always welcome. Other than that – see you next chapter for more hijinx, escapades, antics and maybe even a more in-depth character introduction.


	23. Missing and Hitting

Hooray for spring break and the time to get things done:)

OOO

Molly Weasley waved her wand just slightly to make sure the eggs weren't burning when she heard a crashing noise behind her. She sighed; it had barely been a week but Ginny wasn't showing any signs of improvement in her ill humor. Ever since everybody had gone back to Hogwarts, she'd banged, thumped, crashed, pouted and stomped her way through the day.

"Good morning dear," Mrs. Weasley greeted her with an effort at civility.

"Hnh," she responded and grabbed a piece of toast.

"Do you have anything planned for today?"

"No," she mumbled, her mouth full of bread as she grabbed a plate. "Have any owls come?" She asked hopefully, setting the slice of toast down on the plate and letting her mother drop two eggs beside it.

"I'm sorry, love. Nothing yet."

She sighed and practically threw the plate down onto the table while she got herself a glass of juice. Turning from the breakfast for a moment, her mother tried to placate her.

"I'm sure all the boys are busy, dear. School does tend to consume one's time. They'll write the moment they get a chance, I'm sure. Just you wait."

"It doesn't take that long to write a stupid letter!" Ginny retorted, taking a gulp of juice. "I don't even know what houses people got into besides Ron! They go off and they forget all about me?"

"They're probably just swamped with classes, homework and activities. You'll understand when you go to Hogwarts next year."

"I wish I was in Hogwarts _now_," she mumbled, ripping the crusts off of the toast and throwing them onto the plate then stabbing the eggs so that the yellow yolks poured out over the crusts. "This stinks, being the only one who has to stay at home while all my friends get to go and have fun."

"You still have Luna. Why don't you go over to her house today?"

"She's off again with her dad on some expedition, traveling somewhere or something, or I would,"

"Tell you what then, since you're so eager to know what's happening with them, why don't _you_ write the boys a letter instead of waiting for them to write one to you? If they're preoccupied, it will serve as a gentle reminder to them," she encouraged.

"I guess…"

"I'll even give you some of the nice parchment I picked up the last time we were in Diagon Alley."

"Ok. I guess. But they'd better write back!"

"I'm sure they will."

OOO

As they approached Hagrid's hut, Sirius ran on ahead barking and they heard the sound of another dog barking in reply from inside the building. As they got closer, they could see Sirius clawing the door and heard Hagrid from inside begging the dog to settle down.

The moment that Hagrid opened the door, Sirius pounced on the boarhound and they started to tussle, so Hagrid allowed them outside to run with free rein. The gamekeeper's eyes then grew wide as he looked up and realized that Harry had brought at least twice as many people as he'd originally expected would be coming.

"Hey Hagrid," Harry grinned as they piled inside.

As they crowded into the single room Theodore gave Hagrid a civil nod and Draco a large grin and enthusiastic wave while the rest of the Hufflepuffs looked around them with wide eyes.

"Hagrid! We brought you some more company, hope you don't mind. Ernie Macmillan, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott," he said, pointing to each one in succession. "They're in my house with me and wanted to come along."

"Well then… I suppose thas alrigh', yeh can make yerselves more than welcome."

The dogs came back in with a barking rush and Sirius jumped on Draco who'd taken a seat on the bed in the corner since all the other chairs were taken. Hagrid began pouring water into a pot for tea and pulled out a plateful of pastries that looked to be more stone than bread. The students quickly learned that the only way to even hope to eat them was to soften them with the water and more than one slipped at least some of their portion to Sirius; fortunately for the Animagus there were enough of them there that they were able to finish off the cakes mostly by themselves.

Draco and Harry began eagerly filling Hagrid in on their first term and the others gradually joined in, Hannah followed by Theo, then Susan and Ernie. Harry mentioned the animosity Snape had shown him, but Hagrid had dismissed it (albeit in a way suggesting there was something there) and the rest agreed with the general assertions made about the dislikable nature of Snape, as well as of Filch and Mrs. Norris.

Hagrid then asked Susan how her Aunt Amelia – who apparently worked in the Ministry – was doing, and while she answered Harry noticed a small newspaper cutting about a break in that had happened at Gringotts the day that he'd been there. He mentioned to Hagrid who brushed it off nervously and Harry's thoughts immediately went back to the package he'd seen Hagrid remove that same day. Making a mental note to talk about it with Draco and Theodore later, he let the subject drop for the moment.

The six of them talked with Hagrid until Theodore finally noticed the sun dropping low in the window. He and Harry had to be at detention promptly and wanted to be sure to eat dinner first so they all bid Hagrid goodbye, having fortunately eaten all of the rock cakes or slipped them to Sirius; Draco gave the dog a sheepish grin when he glared at Draco reproachfully on the way back.

As they went into the Great Hall, Theodore began to stress about their detention and what would come of it and Harry was so preoccupied with trying to calm him down that he barely took note of the fact that Draco was eating with the Hufflepuffs again.

OOO

Narcissa Malfoy fretted as she sat down with her husband in the restaurant. He motioned a waiter over and sent the man to put their orders in to the chef and get them a bottle of wine, and then regarded his wife for a moment.

"Dear? What's the matter?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just wish, well… why hasn't Draco written us again?" The waiter came over with a bottle of burgundy and poured her a glass which she immediately clutched and started to down. "I know it's not the ideal situation but you don't think he's gone and done something rash, do you? Or that he's upset with us? Oh, I knew I should have raised him better, should have paid him more attention, gotten him better tutors…"

"Slow down dear," Lucius reached out and gently took the nearly-empty wine glass away from her before taking a sip from his own. "He's a boy. They get busy at Hogwarts. No doubt he's tearing things up with Theodore and keeping busy with homework and classes. At least that's what he'd better be doing."

"But they cannot even be in the same house! Surely a boy like Theodore wouldn't get into Hufflepuff. And Harry Potter - I can't see him going to that house either. Oh, it's a complete disaster. And now he isn't even speaking to us!"

Lucius sighed as she got progressively worked up, grabbing the wine bottle and pouring herself another glass. She went on for a moment about endless possibilities of how depressed he must be or how he must hate them or what a neglectful mother she was and how dim his future must be and maybe he had shut himself up and wasn't eating.

"Narcissa, my love," he said in a firmer tone, "I did not take us to one of the finest wizarding restaurants in London to spend the evening uselessly worrying about Draco. I can assure you, the boy is fine. So he does not write to his mother – it doesn't signify anything other than the fact that he's a normal child away from home for the first extended length of time."

"But – Hufflepuff!"

"Darling, we've already had this discussion. It is not the end of the world; there are plenty of families with Hufflepuff ties whose views aren't entirely unlike our own. Look at the Smiths; not on our side, per se, but still hold many values in common. The boy may not, I admit, be as fit for the inner circle as some," he said, his voiced getting hushed, "but is that really what you want?"

Narcissa shook her head. "It was bad enough when it was you," she whispered quietly. "Wondering if you'd come home, agonizing over the trial, always afraid of you losing favor or being discovered. I do not wish him to abandon our views – but I must admit, it is a life I do not wish for Draco, at least not for many, many years."

"Of course not," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. "You are his mother after all. So see this as an opportunity for him to embody our views while not running as great a risk should… well, you know."

She returned his smile and the light from the candle between them made her lips shimmer.

"There's the 'Cissa I know," he whispered, affectionately rubbing her hand.

Their moment was interrupted by the waiter with their food, and as her coq au vin was placed in front of her Narcissa was cheered further.

"Perhaps, if I send him care packages, he would reply," she said as she picked up her fork.

"An excellent idea," Lucius agreed before proceeding to cut into his steak.

OOO

The detention with McGonagall went more smoothly than expected, though it initially disappointed both Harry and Pansy. McGonagall had them all in her classroom, organizing her materials while she watched them with a sharp eye. While the detention was going on there was barely time for Harry and Theodore to talk, let alone start an argument; not that they would have wanted to while she was monitoring them, lest they get another detention.

It wasn't until the detention was over and she had finally dismissed them back to their common rooms that each group finally had their chance. With Crabbe and Goyle stalking behind her Pansy shot Harry a snide look.

"I see you're used to cleaning; is that what the Muggles made you do?" She smiled smugly as Harry's reaction made it evident she'd accidentally struck a nerve. "Well, you'd better learn to like it, seeing as you won't be useful for much else."

"Oh, yeah?" He retorted. "At least I don't look like a pug!"

She wheeled around and slapped him in the face.

"You Muggle-loving traitor!" She hissed. "How dare you talk to me that way?"

"You want me to run and get McGonagall? Don't think I won't!" He snapped, touching his cheek where he'd been slapped.

"Why don't you settle it like a man, instead?" She shot back. "Wizard's duel, Monday, midnight, the trophy room. Assuming you know what a wizard's duel _is_ and don't end up bringing a foil or a gun," she said smugly.

"Of course I know! Theo can be my second – how about yours?"

"Goyle," she snapped. "Midnight Tuesday and don't you forget it!"

She stormed off down the hallway with Crabbe and Goyle in tow.

"Can you believe her nerve!" Harry said, wheeling around to face Theodore who rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe how easily you fell for the same trick we were going to pull on her."

"What?"

"She goaded you into a duel, just like we were planning to do with her, and I would bet you anything that she doesn't show up but that some teacher does."

"You can't be serious…"

"I'm afraid so. It was painfully obvious."

"Then what are we supposed to do?!"

"Don't go? There's a novel idea," Theodore said as they took a turn down a hall.

"But what if she shows and we don't and she spreads the word that we're cowards?"

"And what if you're stupid enough to get caught by the same trap you were setting? Because that seems to be the case. I assure you, she isn't going to show."

"Well then what _are_ we supposed to do? How do we get out of this one? Because I'm not just letting her get away with slapping me, even if she is a girl."

"I'm not saying you should; but let's not be so clumsy about it, all right? I'm loathe to say it, but perhaps we should consult Fred and George about what to do next." He stopped in mid-step and turned his head. "Do you hear something, Harry?"

Just then a burly girl dressed in Slytherin colors came dashing around the corner, her eyes puffy and red. She pulled up short when she saw Harry and Nott, then Pansy's voice came echoing down the hallway. The girl looked trapped and wheeled around again to Harry and Nott, pulling her wand.

"Get out of my way or I'll hex you," she growled.

"What's the matter, Bulk-strode?" Pansy's high voice came, laughing from somewhere further off. "Aren't you happy to see us?"

"Whoa! Settle down!" Harry whispered, seeing the wand. "Take it easy!"

"Running from Pansy?" Theodore surmised.

"Just move!"

"Fine!" Harry stepped aside. "We never saw you, OK?"

"And next time, call her a pug," Theodore added with a wry smile.

She looked at them for a moment like they were crazy then dashed off down the hall, presumably to find another path to her commons room that was less Parkinson-filled.

Theodore and Harry made short work of finding their own common room and seeking out Fred and George who nodded as they filled them in on the events of the evening. The twins listened and nodded then looked at each other.

"We'll have to think about this one," Fred told them.

"But rest assured we'll come up with something," George replied.

"Definitely."

"Assuredly."

"You can count on us," they said in unison.

Once the twins had headed off to a corner with Lee, Harry and Nott went up to their rooms where Nott took out a book and Harry tried half-heartedly to review his History of Magic notes. Finally he tossed them on the floor and turned towards Nott.

"So what do you suppose that was about?"

"Hmm?" Nott asked, flipping another page and not taking his eyes off of the book.

"The girl. In the hall."

"Oh. That." He shrugged. "Pansy being Pansy, I suppose. She was probably teasing that girl, and who would want to stick around for that?"

"Do you know who she was?"

"The girl? Not sure. Millicent Bulstrode, I think, if I'm remembering from Potions correctly – and from what Pansy was calling her, albeit in a slightly altered form."

"Seemed like Pansy was giving her a hard time."

"It wouldn't surprise me. But it's probably best not to say anything more about it. It's an in-house issue and moreover, girls have their own ways of dealing with things."

"You're positive?"

"Believe me, she'd probably resent interference more than anything."

"If you say so…"

"Trust me. It's not good to run around always trying to be a hero to everybody, Harry. Sometimes people just need to work things out for themselves."

OOO

"I can't believe it!" Ron grumbled, looking at the posting. "We have flying with the Gryffindors. Fantastic. I bet I get shown up by Potter, again."

"I don't see how that's likely," Pansy replied calmly. "He can't be very good at flying if he's been living with Muggles. He wouldn't have even seen a broomstick meant for anything other than sweeping until the past few weeks. Surely you're better than that?"

"I guess," Ron sighed, his voice betraying his doubt.

"Look, when it comes to Quidditch, boys are all talk. Most of them are nowhere nearly as good as they say that are, and that's having grown up around it. Potter will be on a broom for the first time, so trust me when I say that you have nothing to worry about."

"What if he's just that good?"

"Then be better," she said with a shrug. "Or hex him. Whichever. Now come on, before we can't find any seats for breakfast."

Suddenly, as the owls poured in, Ron noticed one that looked more familiar than the rest.

"Errol's going to the Hufflepuff table? To Draco?" He frowned. "So _that's_ how it is," he muttered, thinking of Draco's Ginny-supplied knowledge of him (and his weakness to spiders) the first day they met.

OOO

Across the Great Hall Harry and Theodore were sitting down for breakfast again, their backs facing the Hufflepuff table where Draco was sitting with his friends; for the moment it was the best compromise they'd been able to work out. As they were nearly finished the owls swooped in, three with letters and packages for Draco. Draco waved them over to the Hufflepuff table and Hannah and Ernie moved slightly so that Harry and Theodore could look.

"Check it out! My comics came," he said, setting aside a pile of colorful comic books. "You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find a wizard distributor. A package from Mum," he grinned as he ripped open the box and distributed some of the sweets she'd given him. "And… hey! A letter from Ginny! I've been meaning to write to her – and my mum too. I should probably do that."

"Yeah," Harry muttered, his mouth full of chocolate, as he reached for a _Green Lantern_. "I've been meaning to, too. What's she got to say?"

"Let's see – she wants to know what house we all got in, what we're up to, she says that things are boring back at her home and that Luna's on a trip right now but she should be back soon. Nothing too drastic."

"She wants us to write to her? Good. We can let her know what a git some teachers are."

"I'm sure she's heard from Fred and George," Draco said, giving each of the owls some food in turn, and ruffling Errol's feathers. "And speaking of which…" He smiled as he noticed them coming over.

"Hey Harry, Theo!" George called as they hurried over. "We think we might have a solution to your problem."

"And what's this?" Fred asked as he noticed the handwriting on the letter Draco was holding. "She writes to you lot and not to us! Unbelievable!"

"Our own sister!"

"The nerve!"

"The lack of tact!"

"Do you ever write to her?" Draco asked, laughing.

"Well… no," They admitted, laughing as well.

"So what's your plan?" Theodore asked.

"Commons room. Later. Not so many ears."

"Leaving me out of things already?" Draco teased. "Well fine then," and he stuck his tongue out, eliciting a playful punch from Harry.

Theodore and Harry went back to the Gryffindor table with a promise to fill him in later, after classes.

"Are they always like that?" Hannah asked Draco as he shoved a _Batman_ and a _Spider-Man_ into his bag.

"Like what?"

"Up to something."

"Pretty much," he admitted with a nod. "And to tell you the truth – I'm just the same."

"So are you going to let us in on this little secret?"

"Maybe," he told her with a wink and grabbed his back as they headed off to class.

OOO

So I lied – we'll get to see a more in depth introduction of Millicent a bit later. I was planning on a scene mirroring the Draco/Cedric one from a few chapters back but felt that this worked better in a number of ways. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and would love it if you posted any thoughts, ideas, recommendations, etc. that you might have. If you have questions you'd like me to answer, just post with a ffnet account and I'll send a reply or PM.


	24. Ominous Feelings

OOO

"That's the plan you came up with?" Theodore rolled his eyes in exasperated disbelief at Fred and George. "Polyjuice potion? There's so many things wrong with that plan that I can't even begin to name them. Illegality, couldn't be brewed in time, couldn't be brewed without thieving from Snape, couldn't be brewed anywhere safely, we couldn't impersonate Pansy and company without a hair – and I don't know how you think we'd go about getting that – plus we'd probably change back by the time we were caught and disciplined in their stead…"

"Nott!" Fred broke in.

"We were just being…"

"Sarcastic."

"Joking."

"Pulling your leg."

"Hmph," Theo made an indifferent noise and crossed his arms, feeling foolish for having actually believed them.

"So what's your real suggestion?" Harry asked.

"Out real one? There's a passage by the trophy room; you can hid in it and listen to see if they show."

"If they don't, you won't be seen either and can get away without whomever they might send noticing."

"If they do, you can slip out and pretend you were already there and waiting for them. Or just draw attention to them, if you like, so that they get caught while you don't."

Theodore looked back at them, halfway between impressed and amused.

"That's not half-bad actually."

"Yeah, but it still doesn't get her back for slapping me," Harry muttered.

"You can always prank her twice you know," said George.

"Not like there's a limit."

"Good thing, too."

"Oh! And if you can get your hands on an invisibility cloak, that might help too."

"Added security you know."

"We can borrow Draco's," Harry assured them. "He won't mind."

"Oh, so you do have one?" The twins looked impressed.

"Well that makes things easier," Fred said thoughtfully.

"Too true; it opens up a lot more pranking possibilities," George concurred. "We might even have to borrow it from time to time; those are something you don't come across every day, you know."

"Well, I'm sure Draco will be amenable; you two seem to be enough like him that I'm sure he'll get along famously with you even if he loathes your brother," Theodore assured them.

George scoffed.

"I still can't believe I've lived to see a day like this; a Malfoy ends up being as bad as us or worse when it comes to pranks and our own brother winds up in Slytherin."

"Mum had fits when she heard about it," Fred sighed. "And I'll bet you anything Ginny's furious."

"Speaking of Ginny – has Draco written her yet?" Harry asked.

"I think he was planning on doing that tonight. We should probably talk to him if we want to write anything and send it along with his letter. I know I'll need to at least since I don't have a personal owl."

"So does she know about _anybody's_ house except for Ron's?"

"No. At least I don't believe so. If you haven't said anything they neither have Draco or I. I haven't told anybody, in fact."

"Really? Why not? I mean, I haven't either but that's just because my aunt and uncle wouldn't be the least be interested; in fact, they'd probably be pretty angry if I went reminding them about magic and making owls show up at their house."

"And do you believe that my father will be any less displeased with my sorting into Gryffindor than your aunt and uncle were when they realized that you were magic like your parents? Even Draco could allow his parents to know, even if he feared a Howler. But as for my father – well, let's just say that I'd like to avoid his finding out for as long as possible. It won't be a good scene when he does, but at least he won't ask ahead of time."

Fred and George shifted, somewhat uncomfortable. In the midst of their father's rants about Death Eaters, the name Nott had come up, though not nearly as often or as virulently as the name Malfoy. They weren't really sure what to tell him about his father, given his probable Death Eater status.

"How did you guys get to know Ginny anyway? I mean, the Malfoys don't exactly make social calls to people like us; and I can't imagine any of your parents appreciating consorting with the likes of a Weasley."

Theodore shrugged.

"Draco got to know Luna Lovegood after they met at a zoo one day and met Ginny through her. I met them both in… well, let's just say it wasn't the best of circumstances that I got to know them. But they're fun.

"As for our parents – Draco just snuck around his father's prohibition and my father doesn't take much notice of anything I do unless it's raucous."

Harry remained silent during Theo's explanation, feeling it was wisest not to let more slip than was necessary lest something he say lead indirectly to Sirius.

"So now that Nott's explained that – how did you guys know about the passage into the trophy room? What did you do, go knocking on the walls at night and prodding them with your wands until you found something?"

The twins laughed.

"Not quite," admitted Fred.

"But for now, that's our little secret," George told them with a wink.

They excused themselves to go see Lee, probably about some other trouble-making scheme. Harry turned to Theo and they nodded, going off to have dinner and look for Draco.

OOO

Draco sat on his bed, looking out at the Forbidden Forest from his window and petting Sirius. He knew he ought to be doing homework but he couldn't seem to concentrate. The woods were unsettling; he felt like there was something ominous about them, more than he'd expected, more than there should be.

He wanted to know what it was behind the trees that made him so nervous.

Beside him, Sirius looked up and whined. Draco had gone unusually quiet and his behavior in the woods the other day had been more than a little strange. He still hadn't gotten the chance to tell the boys about the large dog he'd sensed behind they door, either, and its presence made him uneasy as well.

Something odd was happening, but he didn't know what it was nor how to deal with it in his Animagus form. Draco's dreams were strange and upsetting to him, the forest was haunting his thoughts, there were beasts in the castle with no ready explanation and every now and again Sirius got the sense that something terrible was on the verge of happening.

He barked at the boy and Draco looked down at him.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I got lost in my thoughts." Gathering quills and paper into his bag, he stood. "Let's go look for Harry and Theo. I'll get that letter to Ginny written too," he said, unlocking Artemis' cage and allowing the owl to perch on his shoulder. He folded up the invisibility cloak and put that into the bag as well.

The found Harry and Nott in the Great Hall eating dinner and waved. Draco slipped food down to Sirius, which he appreciated a great deal more than the rock cakes he'd been fed of Hagrid's.

One finished, the four of them went outside, down to the lake. The sun was beginning to set and nobody else was around, so Draco draped the invisibility cloak over Sirius.

"You can change now," he said. "Just speak in a low voice and make sure to keep the cloak wrapped around yourself."

Theodore and Harry told him about Fred and George's plan, and Draco nodded; it did seem, he though, the best thing to do and they could certainly borrow his cloak.

"I agree with you guys, though; it's really strange how they seem to know every corner of this castle. I wonder how."

"I wonder if they might not have…" Sirius mused then gasped. "It might be dangerous though, if they do!"

"Have what?" Harry asked.

"Back when I was in school with your father, Lupin and the rat, the four of us made a map that detailed Hogwarts and its environs; all the passages, tunnels, rooms, stretching all the way to the edge of Hogsmeade. It got confiscated before we left, but was enchanted so that it looked like a blank piece of paper to most. They knew it was something but not what it was.

"If there are any who could figure out its secret though, excluding you lot of course, I'd bet it be those two. It could be dangerous for me, though – not only does it show places, but people as well, names included. If they use the map and notice that I'm on there – well, I don't know what would happen, but it wouldn't be good."

Draco frowned.

"Well, the lack of aurors swarming the school makes me think they haven't. But it still leaves the possibility in place. So what do we do?"

"Steal it?" Harry suggested. "Or convince them to give it to us?"

"First we should make sure that they even have it," Nott said. "You don't know for sure that a map is the reason why t hey know so much about the geography of Hogwarts. If you figured it out by yourselves," he said looking at where Sirius' voice came from, "I expect that they could as well.

"And if we steal it that will just make them suspicious, which could be even worse."

"Well what else do you suggest we do?" Draco spoke up. "We can't let him be discovered."

"If they really do possess the map… Would it be too bold to suggest that we let them in on the secret?"

"Theo!" Draco gasped. "It's not going to be a secret for much longer if we keep letting people know. Do you really think we're that close to them yet? Their friends but not ones we've know for very long; we haven't even let Ginny or Luna know about him yet, and I don't think Ginny will be happy if she finds out we told them something we were keeping from her!"

"Ginny never needed to find out; but I, speaking from experience, will say that one is much more willing to keep a secret that one has been let in on than a secret one unintentionally discovers. Take the first step and explain his presence rather than letting them think the worse if all efforts to get the map are unsuccessful and their suspicions get aroused."

"I don't know about this, Theo," Harry interjected. "I mean, I like Fred and George but I don't want to see Sirius get into trouble if they jump to conclusions. If we did get the map aware from them and they still didn't know about Sirius that would be the safest thing of all."

"This might surprise you," said Sirius, "But I think I might have to side with Theodore. I know you two are concerned about my safety; but what he said about secrets and keeping them makes sense.

"More than that, if they have the map, they know me already; we left a bit of ourselves in it, it wasn't just a drawing. They'd know me by Padfoot, but once they made the connection I think that the Marauder's Map would go a long was towards establishing my innocence with them.

"Other than that – I trust them. Perhaps it's a foolish thing to say, but from what I've seen they aren't the type to bandy about secrets and they are sufficiently similar in personality to you and to me that I think it would be safe."

Draco sighed.

"Well, if you sure – then we pick a time to tell them, I suppose. Soon, preferably; we might as well get it over with. Every day that goes by increases the risk that they'll check the map and see his name."

"Tomorrow night then?" Harry asked.

"If at all possible; you two will have to invite them, though, since I might not get to see them."

"Will do."

"By the way boys," Sirius broke in, "Not to change the subject, but I thought you'd like to know – the hallway you were warned about at the beginning of the semester? There's a huge dog behind it, doing something. I can't say what since I only heard it barking, but it's definitely there."

"A dog?" Nott frowned. "Weird."

"We should go check it out!" Draco grinned.

"So that we get another detention?"

"We'll use the cloak and it will be fine; don't be a wet blanket."

"And what if it starts barking?"

"I don't know, we'll figure something out."

"Speaking of strange things," Harry interrupted, "the day Hagrid and I went shopping he emptied something out of a vault, and I saw a clipping in his house the other day that said that vault was broken into later that same day!"

"Emptied?" Sirius asked. "What did he take out?"

"I don't know; it was just some little wrapped up package."

"That doesn't mean that it wasn't important; the size of an object rarely does. But I wonder what it was."

"Don't know," Harry replied. "Do you think it was important?"

"If the vault was broken into? Of course it was," Theodore said snappishly. "And don't any of you ask if you think the dog in the forbidden corridor is related, because that's blindingly obvious as well. What other reason would they have for bringing something like that into the school? Dogs guard; therefore it's logical that it's guarding something; and if that something was under threat of theft, then Hogwarts would be quite safe and even safer depending on the nature of that beast."

"It was just a question!" Harry threw his hands up defensively.

"I'm sorry; it's just… I'm nervous. And I don't know why."

"About what? Going into the trophy room later tonight? We'll be fine with the passage and the cloak."

"No, it's not that. It feels… it feels like I'm reading a book and watching something unfold. I know what's happening but I can't change the way things are written or do anything about it. It's as if we're moving towards something."

"You feel that way too?" Sirius said, with mild surprise. "I've been feeling that way as well. Ever since I came back to the castle, it's been growing stronger."

"I've been feeling things every now and again," Harry admitted. "My scar still tingles from time to time."

"And the forest…" Draco turned his head to look at it. While they'd been talking, darkness had fallen and the trees were illuminated by the moonlight. On his shoulder Artemis hooted; Draco shivered, then frowned and shook his head.

"Let's go back inside," he said. "It's took dark to write out here and I promised I'd get a letter written to Ginny."

"Yeah, we need to be done in time for our so-called 'duel,'" Theo grumbled.

Sirius transformed again and they went back inside, where they went to the library. Madame Pince frowned at them disapprovingly for bringing the dog with them, but Draco assured her that he would behave and that they would be finished soon. They wrote swiftly to get the letters finished before curfew then attached them to Artemis.

Draco took her to the window in his room and sent her off while Harry and Theo returned to their own commons room to wait for midnight, Draco's cloak in hand.

OOO

The next morning, on his way into the hall, Ron looked at the hour-glasses that kept track of house points and frowned; there were no significant changes since the day before and if students had been caught running through the corridors at night, surely there would have been. When he mentioned this to Pansy, she frowned.

"I know. Either they didn't come or they got away. It figures," she grumbled. "Lousy Gryffindors."

"There will be another chance, I'm sure; maybe when we have flying lessons together. And speaking of flying – Quidditch gets underway pretty soon, doesn't it?"

Pansy nodded. "They begin practices this week or next, I think."

"How was the Slytherin team last year?" He blushed faintly. "I don't remember much about it, all that ever got talked about in my home was the Gryffindor team."

"No matter about that," she said. "We won, and we'll hopefully do the same this year. Most of the team stuck around. Speaking of Quidditch – you brother was on their house team, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, before he graduated."

"Well then, maybe you should try out next year," she grinned. "I'm sure you'd be great."

"Really? You think so?" The tips of his ears turned pink. "I'd never really thought about it. Not that I wouldn't like to be. But… what about broomsticks?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Pansy laughed. "I'm sure if a good friend of mine got on the team – and I'd be so _concerned_ about the team continuing to do well – I could talk my father into making a small 'donation.'"

Ron sat beside her at the table and began filling his plate.

"It must be nice to be able to help people out like that. I still haven't paid you back."

"Never mind about it," she reassured. "It isn't your fault that you're pureblooded but poor; it's your father's. And a leg up is the only way you'll ever escape the stigma. It is nice, though, to have enough money to be able to do as you please."

"I can only imagine."

"Well, stay on the right track and you can do more than imagine."

"Although – Pansy? I do appreciate the help; but next time something happens in a class like Snape's, let me speak for myself. OK? Not that I'm ungrateful, but…"

To his surprise, Pansy didn't seem upset at all; instead, she laughed.

"Good! I hope you do. Slytherins are nothing if not self-confident. Remember, you wouldn't be in this house unless you were one of the best. You have to be worthy to be in here, cunning and ready to get ahead. The hat doesn't make mistakes and you are not your brothers; be proud of both of those facts and nobody will give you attitude – at least, nobody who matters."

Ron straightened and grinned, then grabbed a muffin which he wrapped in a napkin. Pansy looked at him oddly.

"Why not just get more food at lunch?"

"Oh, it's not for me. It's for Scabbers," he explained. "My rat."

Pansy made a face.

"And there's another thing – I know you're rather attached, but we have got to find you a better pet. Rats are mangy and carry diseases. Besides, how old is he know? You need something more dignified anyway." Ron opened his mouth to speak but she shushed him. "Tell you what; let me know what kind of owl you'd like and I'll see what I can do."

Ron reddened.

"I don't understand, Pansy. I know you want me to represent Slytherin well. But isn't this excessive?"

She laughed.

"No, not at all. It's what friends do; and you're my friend. Besides, I know that when I need help, you'll be there for me, won't you?"

He nodded fervently.

"You bet. _Definitely_."

OOO

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please do leave your thoughts in a review; I appreciate feedback tremendously, and even if it's short, it lets me know that people are enjoying the story. :)

Next time: Ginny gets the letters and the long-awaited flying lesson!


	25. Punishments and Revelations

OOO

Even the blue skys and light breezes that abounded the day of their first flying lesson couldn't cheer Theo. He hated flying, detested and loathed it, and having to fly with the Slytherins around was going to be even worse. They were spoiling for trouble; a fight had nearly broken out that morning over a Remembrall that Neville had been sent. Pansy had plucked it off the table and started to tease him, and the situation might have escalated had McGonagall not walked over at that moment. If they were that eager to be an annoyance, swooping around on broomsticks with them would only lead to more insult-slinging and verbal barbs.

Standing next to him, however, Harry looked rather eager, which worried Theodore as well. Technically he was supposed to be touching a broomstick, at least one meant for something other than sweeping, for the first time in his life. Truthfully he, like Draco, was already rather skilled in his flying abilities and Theo wasn't sure if he could resist the temptation to show off, particularly with the Slytherins there. While Theo would have loved to see Harry make them eat crow as much as anybody, he was aware of the risk it posed if Hooch or anyone else grew suspicious of his level of proficiency. After all, natural talent could only account for so much.

Nothing he could do about it now, though, he supposed, apart from hoping for the best.

"Up!" He called to his broomstick which reluctantly drifted into his hand. Harry's, not surprisingly, flew into his, as did a few of the other brooms - Ron's and Pansy's included, much to his disappointment. Hermione's simply rolled over and Theo couldn't resist giving her a shade of a smug smirk when she looked up. When he did, he noticed that she bit her lip, as if to prevent herself from giving him an undignified reply.

Most of them, however, simply sat where they were. Given the look on Neville Longbottom's face, they were probably just as happy that the brooms didn't jump up. The sooner the brooms were in hand, the sooner they would be airborne, and Neville very evidently wished to postpone that moment for as long as possible. When the boy finally did wind up on the broom, after a legthy grip-correcting lecture given by Madame Hooch to each student in turn, he not only hovered but shot straight up into the air, at which point he promptly fell back down to the earth. Theo averted his eyes and winced when he heard the crack.

The moment Madame Hooch led the sobbing boy away, heading for the infirmary to see what could be done about his obviously broken wrist and threatening any who even thought about touching the brooms in her absence, a predictable spate of laughter broke out on the Slytherin side of the group.

"What a crybaby!" Pansy crowed. "I'm surprised they even admitted him to Hogwarts if he hasn't even got to sense on how to operate a broom."

"They let you in and you haven't got sense at all," Nott retorted, riled by her air. He wouldn't deign to call Neville sharp or even competent, but the boy was good-natured; and Theo still felt a rush of heated anger towards the girl who had torn his book.

"Well look who's talking, the blood traitor," she snapped. "Though at least you had enough marginal talent to get into the second worst house - unlike the other one who got tossed into the idiot bin." There was a smattering of laughter among her fellows, Ron included.

"Better a badger by name than a pug in looks," Harry joined in.

Pansy's mouth fell open and Ron stepped up to her side.

"She's not the one with a disfigured forehead, scar-face," he growled. Noticing something in the grass, he stooped and picked it up; it was the Remembrall. "Think your friend would like this back, Potter?" He sneered and jumped on the broom. "Maybe a trek through the Forbidden Forest to get it back will help remind him to keep better track of his things."

Ignoring an indignant cry from Hermione coupled with a protest about them getting into trouble, Harry leapt on his own broom and gave chase. When Ron finally tossed it away, Harry went into a dive that even Theo had to admit was rather spectacular, managing to catch the orb seconds before it would have shattered on the ground. There was a spate of applause which quickly ended when the other Gryffindors realized that McGonagall had seen Harry fly - though Ron was landed by then. The blood drained from Theo's face and he wondered if she would make good on Hooch's threat.

Harry was bustled away and Theodore spent the rest of the lesson in a daze, wondering how he would explain an expulsion to Sirius and fearing for Harry should he be sent back to his aunt and uncle's home.

OOO

"We can't win!" Pansy vented. "He gets caught and what does he get? A place on the Quidditch team!"

"What?" Blaise Zabini snapped from across the table.

"Oh yeah," Ron chimed in bitterly. "We overhead him whispering to his stupid friends about it and talking over it with those moronic twin brothers of mine. He's going to be their Seeker. Can you believe it?"

"Are you sure?" Daphne asked, reaching for a dinner roll.

"Positive. We just came back from there. You should have seen the looks on their stupid faces," Pansy continued to grumble. "It makes me sick just thinking about it - they get away with _everything_, get rewarded for their misbehavior!"

"Makes me sick," Ron agreed and the other Slytherins nodded their consenting opinions in the matter. Only Millicent failed to join in the banter, keeping to herself at the end of the table, her head down.

"You can bet a Slytherin would have been kicked out like that," Pansy snapped her fingers.

"And they say McGonagall doesn't favor them," Ron scoffed.

"Did you do anything about it?" Blaise inquired through a mouthful of food.

"What could we do? The duel-plan didn't work last time; either they got lucky or they knew it was a trap. But if we asked a second time, they'd know for sure now if they didn't before. And we're in front of all the teachers here so we couldn't just fight them outright." His nervous fidgeting betrayed Ron's frustration and agitation. "But we'll think of something, you can bet on it."

"At the very least Slytherin can wipe the field with him when Quidditch season gets underway." Pansy patted his back consolingly. "If he's only a first year he can't be that good, no matter how much talent McGonagall thinks he has. And most of our champion team from last year is back so it shouldn't be a problem."

"I sure hope so," Ron grimaced. "Otherwise..."

He didn't finish the thought and didn't need to; losing to Harry Potter at Quidditch was an embarassment they all wanted to avoid, even if they could do nothing more to help than cheer the team on from the stands.

OOO

When news of Harry's broomstick finally reached Draco, he wondered if he would be able to prevent Sirius from changing without considering the consequences. As soon as Harry told them the news at their usual after dinner lake-side gathering, Dragon began jumping around, barking and panting, easily as excited as Harry was about the way things had turned out. Draco shared in the enthusiasm, only ever so slightly tinged with jealousy, while Theo rolled his eyes at the lot of them.

"You just got lucky, you know that?" He admonished, though truthfully he felt relieved that there had been no serious consequences or punishments.

"Youngest Seeker in a century, can you believe it? And I even got my own broom that I didn't have to sneak in!"

"You will let me ride it sometime, won't you?" Draco pleaded, casting a longing look at the package.

"Well, maybe," Harry teased. "If you're nice. And if you give me a leg up on homework."

"Harry!" Theo snapped.

"Oh, alright, fine. You can try it out some time."

"Yes!" Draco grinned and pumped a fist into the air. "This is going to be so amazing! And you'll even get to be the best Seeker for a while."

Harry laughed. "A while? What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know. Until I get to try out for the Hufflepuff team and blow everybody away."

"Yeah right! They already have a Seeker, stupid," Harry pushed him playfully.

"I know - Cedric Diggory. Well I'll be even better than he is - and if they go with seniority, then I guess you get a reprieve for a bit until he graduates."

"Pft. Sure, Draco. Oh, I'm sure you'll make the team - as a water boy or broom polisher or something." He scratched Dragon behind the ears.

"Wait until you're first game is over before you go shooting your mouth off," Draco advised with a grin. "You might just get demoted after they see how clumsy you are!"

"If by 'clumsy' you mean 'awesome' and 'skilled' then yes, I might be off the team - when I get promoted to being a professional."

Another nudge from Harry and the two started to tussle, disagreeing loudly over which one was better on a broom and alledging how terrible the other was bound to be at Quiddich.

"Knock it off you two!" Theo broke in. "Did either of you think while you were wrestling about that tonight was the night we agreed to tell Harry and George about... about Dragon?" He cast a look in the dog's direction and the scuffling came to a halt. "You should have asked them over at dinner, Harry, when they came by to congratulate you."

"Slipped my mind. There were other things on it," he said, tossing a grin in Draco's direction. The silver-haired boy 'hmphed' and looked away.

"We need to get this over with before something happens. The sooner the better - remember? Why don't we stay out here and relax and you go up to the commons room and invite them out here. There's still a good amount of time before the sun sets, if you hurry." A puase. "Well? Get moving!" He ordered impatiently.

"Alright, already! I'm going, I'm going!" Harry brushed the grass off of his robes and ran in the direction of the castle.

While they waited, Draco flopped back down and secretly hoped for the giant squid to make an appearance. Perhaps he ought to start bringing - well, whatever it was that squids ate. Theo pulled a book out of his pack and began reading, and when Draco noticed he rolled his eyes.

"Can't you lay off the studying for a second? It's a lovely evening - why spend it staring at a page? Look up at the sky or something!"

"I see enough of the sky in the Great Hall, thank you. And this isn't a book to study. It's a book I'm reading for pleasure."

Draco eyed him suspiciously; he was well enough acquainted with Theo to know about some of the things the boy considered 'pleasure.' Nevertheless, his curiousity got the better of him and he sat up, trying to read the title on the cover.

"_Ethan Frome_," he read. "What's that about?"

"It's about a man and his wife's cousin and things not working and... oh, wy don't you read it yourself and find out?" Theo snapped. "It might do you some good."

"I read!"

"I've told you before, comic books don't count."

"Some of them are graphic novels!"

"The word 'novel' does not make it literature; they're still made up of more pictures than words, so they don't count either."

"Well they should," Draco huffed.

Theo refused to respond and they lulled into silence until they heard hurried footsteps approaching.

"Hey guys!"

Draco sat up and Theodore clapped the book shut. "Have you told them anything yet?" Theo asked Harry sharply the moment he saw them.

"No. Thought it would be best to wait for you guys."

Draco nodded and Harry sat down on the grass next to him, soon followed by Fred and George.

"What's up?" George asked.

"Let's not bandy about," Theo said abruptly. "Do you two have the Marauder's Map?"

They paled beneath their freckles and looked at the three first years as if they had suddenly sprouted extra limbs.

"How do you know about that?" Fred managed to whisper after recovering from the initial shock.

"Well..." Draco took a breath. "It's a bit of a long story. All we ask if that you listen to it and take us seriously. OK?"

The twins exchanged glances. Everything suddenly seemed much more solemn; even the air around them felt heavier.

"We will, I guess," George agreed. "Right, Fred?"

"Right."

"It's like this..."

OOO

When Draco's owl finally arrived with the letter, it was all Ginny could do to keep herself from hurting the animal by ripping the parchment off it's leg. She fumbled with it in her eagerness to read it, and once she managed to straighten it out and get a look at the text, her eyes scanned over it quickly, drinking it all in. The moment she finished, she couldn't suppress the laughter that escaped her throat. Then, without wasting another moment, she tossed Artemis a bit of the cookie she'd been munching and then ran inside to the kitchen.

"Mum, Mum!" She waved the paper around eagerly. "It worked! They sent a letter!"

Mrs. Weasley turned away from the stove and smiled at her daughter. "See, there? Didn't I tell you?" She came over to where the girl was standing. "What does it say? Can you tell me?"

"Yeah, all sorts of stuff. Harry and Theo got in to Gryffindor..."

"Theodore Nott?" Mrs. Weasley failed to hide her surprise.

"Yeah, Draco says that Theo demanded to be put in there with Harry," she grinned. "And listen to this - Draco got into Hufflepuff!"

"Draco Malfoy in Hufflepuff..." If it was possible, this shocked Mrs. Weasley even more. "Well I never! How are they doing at school?"

"Pretty good. Snape's a jerk, but we knew that from Fred and George."

"Ginny! You shouldn't talk about him so. You haven't even met him!"

"He docked Harry points for knowing the right answers, Mum! Anyway, they're doing OK in all their other classes. Draco says that Theo's been competing with this one girl in their class, Hermione Granger. Ssays she reads almost as much as he does and gives answers to everything."

"Sounds like a bright girl."

"Bet Theo's brighter," Ginny replied a touch defensively.

"Is there anything else? Do they say anything about... you know. Ron?" Her soft voice was tentatively hopefully.

Ginny shook her head and dropped the parchment down to her side. Ron had been mentioned, but none of it had been good. There was no reason to let her mother know that, though. She'd only worry.

"I'm sorry Mum," she murmured.

Mrs. Weasley dabbed at her eyes and turned back to cleaning the dishes in the sink. "Oh, don't worry about me dear," she said in a voice that was forcibly cheerful. "I'll be fine. I'm sure we'll hear about him soon enough."

The girl doubted it but didn't say anything more about it. She took the letter to her room where Artemis was already at the window, knowing from experience to wait for a reply. Ginny reread the letter twice over, then reached for a quill and some parchment to make her reply.

OOO

"What am I supposed to do with him?" Ron cast an eye on Scabbers who was wriggling in his grasp.

"Let him go outside, or something. Or even in the castle. Not near the kitchens - maybe out the door in the dungeon or something. That's supposed to be a rat's natural habitat, right?"

"I guess. But he's never had to look for food for himself or anything."

"I'm sure instict will kick in," Pansy retorted impatiently.

"Instinct? Are you sure?"

"It's a rat, Ron! Does it matter? If it dies - big deal! One less rat!"

He sighed; Scabbers had been with them since childhood but even he had to admit that the rat was looking like it had seen better days. Given how old the animal had to be, it was probably on the brink of death anyway. What good would it do to keep it?

"Fine. Let's let him go on the lawn. The House Elves or some owl might get him if we keep him inside."

Pansy breated an audible sigh of relief. "About time." She grabbed a light cloak. "Let's go."

They made their way out the front door with Scabbers in a box, moving about furiously. It was, Ron thought, as if he knew what they were doing. Maybe he did - animals had funny senses like that. It couldn't be avoided though. And to be honest, he'd always been a bit embarassed at his choice of animal. Stepping out onto the lawn, they ran together over towards the forest.

"Well look who it is," Ron narrowed his eyes, noticing a group by the lake. "Potter and his pals - probably gloating about today."

"Ignore them," Pansy said, shivering a bit. "Get rid of the rat and let's go - something about those trees gives me the creeps."

Ron nodded and, in one swift motion, removed the lid and tossed the rat into the shadows of the Forbidden Forest. He thought he heard it squeak as it landed, but he couldn't be sure. There was a tug at his sleeve from Pansy and they ran back inside together. The front door slammed shut behind them and she smiled as they made their way back down to the Slytherin common room.

"So what would you like to replace him?" She asked brightly. "An owl? You could probably use one. Nothing stupid like that toad the Longbottom moron has; that'd be worse than the rat. You could get a cat, too, though it wouldn't be nearly as useful as the owl."

"The owl sounds about right," Ron agreed, conceding to but still a bit embarassed by her generosity.

"Then pick a breed." She stopped on the stairwell. "Shall we got to the library and find a book on them? I have to say, I never thought about it myself."

"Yeah, we can. No snowy owls though," he said in a faux-stern voice.

She laughed and he smiled; then they made their way together up the endlessly shifting flights of steps.

OOO

I know it's been awhile - ran a little low on inspiration for a bit. I hope you enjoyed and that you'll leave a review if you feel so inclined. Clearly a few things have already been altered in the books' progression, but there should be a few familiar events coming up in the next few chapters - including the Halloween night, which might not go entirely as expected, and the Mirror of Erised which will reveal some things about Theo. All of which I'll hopefully get to before the big July finale. :-)


	26. Adventures Over Dogs

OOO

"About the Marauders Map... well, first things first, I suppose," Draco looked at them each quite seriously, his grey eyes taking on a severe look that Theo and Harry rarely saw. "You must promise that you will never repeat any of what we're about to tell you to anybody. Don't laugh!" He cut Fred's smirk off. "This is completely serious. We could get into a lot of trouble - and some people more than just trouble - if you run your mouths about this."

"You make it sound like you killed somebody," George replied with a skeptical look on his face.

"Just... look, Theo, isn't there anything you could do? Put a hex or spell on them to make sure they'd be quiet?"

"There's nothing I can do at my current skill level, Draco. Nothing that I could promise would work or wouldn't cause a disaster. I thought we were going to trust them?"

"Yes... but... I hate taking chances..."

"I'm with him," Harry nodded to Draco. "I mean, I like you guys," he said with a glance at Fred and George, "But sometimes it's better safe than sorry."

"We already had this discussion," Theo sighed. "Let's just get on with it!"

"Crimney! What's got you lot so nervous?" Fred looked from boy to boy. "This must be something big. I've never seen you three so worked up."

"It is big. It's... OK. Let's start with the map. Made by Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, right?"

"That's what it says," Fred concurred.

"Well, we know the makers," Draco told them. "Kind of. One is dead and the others... OK. Absolute silence, right? You promise?"

"As one group of trouble-makers to another, you have our word. Besides, if you know the creators, we owe them a large debt," George grinned.

"Prongs was Harry's dad. And the other three were his friends. You see the one, well..." Draco swallowed as he got to the first major secret. "The one who went by the name Mooney was a werewolf. And so the other three, Harry's dad included, decided to become Animagi to keep him company. They did all sorts of stuff... pranks and hijinx and messing about Snape..."

"Sounds like our kind of guys," Fred laughed.

"They were. Are. You see... You see. Even though they were friends when the whole," his voice dropped to a whisper, "Voldemort thing happened, Harry's parents got betrayed by one of them."

"Sirius Black, right?" Fred nodded. "Everybody knows about that."

"NO!" Draco burst out before he could stop himself, flushing with anger. "Sirius didn't do that!"

"Draco!" Theo glared at him. "Watch it!"

"You're saying..." Fred dropped his voice at another glare from Theo. "You're saying that Black didn't do it? How do you know?"

"Because Black went by the name Padfoot. And he's..." He gestured to the dog who barked. "I've had him since I was two. Taught me half of what I know. He saved my life - literally and figuratively, as Theo would say. He didn't do it. Peter did it. Wormtail. Sirius convinced the Potters to switch and that rat sold them out. And when Sirius went to... to confront him, he screamed that Sirius did it, chopped off his own finger and fled. At least that's what Sirius thinks."

For a moment Fred and George sat in silence then burst into laughter.

"Good one. One-toed rat - sounds like that stupid animal Percy and Ron picked up. How dumb do you think we are?"

"This is serious - no pun intended!" Draco insisted. "Ask Harry and Theo - they know! We stayed at his place! Grimmauld!"

The twins looked to Harry and Theo who nodded in unison.

"So you're saying... that you've been harboring a criminal that nobody knows about... for almost a decade?" George asked.

"Pretty much."

"Awesome!" They shouted in unison.

"He must know a ton more about Hogwarts than we do!"

"Bet he has ideas we could use!"

"Can we meet him?"

"You are sure he's not a crazy murderer, right?"

"You double checked?"

"You know," Theo snapped, "I think there are more important things we should be thinking about."

"Like what?" Harry inquired.

"Like what do you think the chances are of the Weasleys taking in a rat with one toe?" He demanded. "When did you adopt him?"

"Oh, ages ago," George rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised he's not dead yet."

"Ages? That doesn't sound like a normal rat. What year?"

"Dunno exactly" Fred admitted. "Probably..." his eyes grew wide. "Probably when Ron was about two."

"We need to find that rat," Theo demanded. "We need to find it and bring it to... to somebody."

"Dumbledore?" Harry suggested.

Dragon started growling.

"Wait a second, everybody," Draco interjected. "Are you sure about this? We'll have to expose Sirius..."

"If Pettigrew shows up not dead, there's no way that he'll maintain innocence. They can use various potions on him, too."

"I don't know..." The volume of the barking increased and Draco sighed, relenting. "Fine then. Let's go find Ron. If he's in the Slytherin common room, I don't know what we can do about it, though."

"We'll use the Marauders Map," Fred said, pulling a parchment out from his bag. "That gives names as well as locations." He touched the wand to the map. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" Curls of ink spread across the page and Fred scanned it for what he was looking for. "The library. He's there with," his expression twisted into one of distaste, "Pansy Parkinson."

"Quickly then. Let's not waste time." Theo stood. "And keep your wands at the ready. Although - Draco? Maybe hang back with Dragon? Pettigrew might bolt if he sees you."

"Good point," Draco nodded. "You guys go first," he said to Fred and George. "Since you're his brothers. And he kinda hates us. Besides," he sighed. "I'd like to keep him from finding out about Sirius at all, if we could manage it."

"What? Why?" Theo jogged along with the twins.

"Because... well... my parents won't be too happy if they find out that Dragon and Sirius are the same. And if we use Sirius to catch Peter, they'll have to find out. I might never get to see him again." He looked down at Dragon. "I want your name to be cleared. But I don't want to have to say goodbye."

"Well... well, it could be done," Theo stated thoughtfully as they reached the castle door. "After all, the Marauder's Map shows names, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then just say that you noticed the name of Peter Pettigrew when you were studying it and that you recognized it. Knew he was supposed to be dead, saw him with Ron, realized that he had to be Scabbers."

"That's... surprisingly plausible," Fred admitted.

"We'd have to tell people about the map, though," George pointed out.

"Better the map than Sirius if it means estranging him from Draco. Besides," Theodore considered, "It might be best if nobody knew about him being here."

"Hows that?" Harry asked as they wound their way up the stairs, their voices dropping now that they were inside.

"Because having an unmarked Animagi could be useful. That the Malfoys didn't recognize him shows that Peter must not have told many, if anybody at all, about him. The trick will be keeping whatever Peter might admit from getting out."

"Let's just focus on catching him first," Fred murmured. "I don't see him with Ron or in the Slytherin dorms."

The twins reached the library just in time to run into Ron and Pansy on their way out.

"So a Great Eagle would be nice..." He trailed off when he noticed his older brothers. "What are you two doing here?"

"Ron, where's Scabbers?" Fred asked in a voice that attempted to be casual.

"What's it to you?"

"Tell us or Lee and we will see that you regret it," George threatened impatiently.

Ron looked at them, then thought the better of refusing; he'd had too much experience with his brother's pranks to take George's threat lightly.

"I got rid of that nasty old thing. Who wants a stupid rat for a pet anyway?"

"WHAT?" The group bellowed in unison.

"I don't see how it's any of your business," he snapped, annoyed but casting a wary glance at the twins, "But I threw him into the Forbidden Forest earlier today. Probably lived, the nasty old thing, but it doesn't really matter to me."

"Shows how hygenic your family is," Pansy added. "Giving rats to their kids for pets. A disgusting lack of breeding is what that is."

"Now move aside," Ron pushed forward, "Or I'll call Madame Pince and tell her you're harassing us."

The two first year Slytherins vanished down the stairwell, a book about owls tucked under Ron's arm, leaving the others behind in disbelief.

"The Forbidden Forest?" Draco murmured in dispair. "And today! We just missed him!"

The twins glanced at each other. "We could go in... but the map doesn't cover much of the forest."

"Don't know how we'd find a single rat in all of those trees."

"Well we have to try, don't we?" Draco was getting worked up. "We can't just let him get away! What if he dies? We might never know! He'll never be cleared!"

"Draco, calm down. First, it is unlikely that he's dead," Theo tried to reassure him. "Animagi keep their minds, for the most part. He will be smarter than to get caught. And if he was just thrown in today, then he won't have had much chance to get into trouble. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he ran right back out and is trying to find his way back into a castle."

"If that's the case," Harry interjected, "Maybe Dragon should stay in your room."

"What? Why?"

"In case Peter would run into him. He would probably recognize him - and might even somehow expose him."

Draco sighed. "I guess," he muttered. "For his own good."

"Well find him," Theo stated in a cold, determined voice. "His type won't put up with the forest for long. He'll be drawn back into the wizarding world. And when he does, it will have to be Hogwarts."

"His type?" Harry glanced at Theo.

"Cowards," Theo spat with disgust.

OOO

Later that evening, while Draco was having dinner with the Hufflepuffs, Theo turned to Harry and caught him off guard.

"You know, I've been thinking..." He began.

"About what?" Harry shoved in another mouthful of kidney pie and chewed. "Dragon?"

"No. Another dog. You know - that one. The one he heard."

Harry looked at him for a moment, mouth hanging open, then swallowed and laughed. "You, thinking about that?"

"Yes. I think we should do and see it. I have... suspicions."

"You? Suggesting a venture that could..." He leaned in a whispered. "That could well get us into trouble?"

"I know, I know! If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times - bad influence. Besides, I have an idea I want to test out."

"As much fun as it promises to be, and as much as I hate to miss out, I have Quidditch practice tonight for the first time and I don't know how long it will last. I'm sure I'll be getting bored with all the particulars that Wood thinks I don't know while you're off having fun. But I'll bet Draco would be up for it."

"He has to come anyway," Theo said as he sprinkled pepper on his potatoes. "He's the one with the cloak, remember?"

"Oh yeah. I keep forgetting about that."

"You'd better not, unless you want to get in trouble with Filch."

"Anyway, I need to run. I'll go let Draco know you want to do that on my way out. Promise to fill me in after?"

"Of course."

"Thanks." Pushing his plate away, Harry sprang up and grabbed his bag before detouring to the Hufflepuff table. Finding Draco in the center of an animated group of the Hufflepuffs they'd met the other day, he leaned over. "Theo wants to see that dog tonight, OK?" He blurted out, before dashing up to the Gryffindor dorm to retrieve his Nimbus 2000.

Draco watched him leave, surprised into silence.

"Dog?" Susan asked curiously. "I thought Theo knew about Dragon."

"Um... well..."

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen him all day. Doesn't he usually come to dinner with you?" Ernie asked innocently.

"Well... about the dog thing..." He couldn't tell them about Sirius, so he fell to the other subject for distraction. "It's the third corridor!" He whispered. "Don't tell anybody - but we heard a dog behind there and we're going to check it out tonight."

"Can we come with you?" Hannah asked brightly.

"Well..." He bit his lip. "You see... I have an invisibility cloak. Not sure if we could all fit under but... well, we can give a try can't we?" He said brightly.

Ernie and Hannah looked enthused but Susan frowned nervously.

"Won't we get into trouble?"

"Wouldn't it be worth it if we do?" Draco's voice was low and suggestive. "It's an adventure! Harry and Theo and I have them all the time! It's fun, trust me."

"I'm in," Hannah said prompty.

"The bigger the number the more likely we might be caught..." Susan started, then sighed. "Oh, fine. Once. If we get caught, though, I'll never forgive you."

"Awesome. Hufflepuff common room, half past ten. I'll let Theo know."

OOO

Eleven o'clock found five first years beneath an invisibility cloak, some more nervous than others. Dragon was not with them, whimpering at being left behind though Sirius ultimately saw the wisdom in the advice. Theo, however, had shown up with a package tucked beneath his arm that he refused to explain. The group moved along slowly so as not to allow the cloak to slip off; Susan was clutching her portion of the fabric so tightly that, Draco noticed, her knuckles were white.

"At least it expands to fit whatever we need it to cover," Draco suggested brightly. "Probably enchanted to fit... larger wizards. And such."

"That doesn't matter now. Let's see..." Theo tried the knob after they all approached in careful unison. "Locked. Well, that's no surprise. Alohomora!" The door sprang open and they stepped quietly inside.

There it was, in all of it's huge, hideous glory. Four of them recoiled but Draco stepped forward, his eyes shining when they set upon the three headed dog as it lightly slumbered.

"He's beautiful..." Draco whispered, moving towards him, hand extended as if it pet him. In a moment he'd slid out of the cloak and was visible once more.

"Draco!" Susan gasped. "Stay under the cloak!"

A low growl came from the beast and it sniffled, as if it was picking up on their scent. Then one set of large, glassy eyes opened and looked at Draco. Draco looked right in them and Susan and Ernie gasped in terror. Hannah darted out from under the cloak and went to pull him back, but before she reached him a sound came from behind her. Turning, she saw that Theo had opened up and taken out what was in the package - a sleek violin. Tucking it beneath his chin and lifting the rosin-smeared bow, Theo began to play a simple yet elegant tune.

"Look," Ernie whispered.

The dog was slowly nodding off. Coming closer, Draco petted each of its three large heads in turn. Theo, however, looked not at the dog but downward. Continuing to play, he saw was he expected.

"Just as I though," he murmured. "A trap door."

"Should we go through it?" Ernie asked haltingly. The dog was quite a sight to see, but mysterious trap doors guarded by such dogs might be too much of an adventure for him to handle.

"No. We need to know more about what might be beyond before that." He shifted keys and played another, equally soothing melody.

"What do you suggest?" Hannah asked, lifting up the cloak for her and Draco to get beneath.

"There's only one person I can think of who would know something about a beast like that," Theo said quietly.

"Hagrid!" Draco gasped.

"Exactly. Now let's get out of here; best not to press our luck too much."

Theo closed the violin up and they dashed out of the room before the dog could wake. Draco dropped Theo off at the Gryffindor common room first. As Theo turned to the Fat Lady's portrait, Draco spoke up.

"Hey."

"Yeah, Draco?"

"How did you know to bring the violin anyway?"

"Just a hunch. Looked up dog-like creatures in the library that would be big enough to make sense as guard animals and be able to make noises like the ones described. Saw the three headed one and well - you know the about Orpheus and Cerberus, right?"

"Um... no?"

Theo sighed. "Never mind Draco. Lucky guess."

"This is one of your book things, isn't it?"

"Yes. It is. Now hurry - before anybody hears us."

The four Hufflepuffs came back, Draco and Ernie watching the girls go up into their area and then sneaking into their own beds as quietly as possible.

"Fun, wasn't it?" Draco asked, pulling on his night clothes.

Ernie grinned and nodded. "I have to admit... yeah. It was. Although I think I could stand a break before the next one."

Draco laughed, quietly, then gave Dragon a pat before drifting off. The dog was quite an adventure, but now that he was back in Sirius' presence his attention was divided between wanting to know what was in that trap door and wanting to figure out a way to find Peter among all the numerous fauna in the Forbidden Forest. He was so close, Sirius' freedom was almost within their grasp... if only...

He fell asleep worrying about Sirius and, despite the fun of sharing mischief with the Hufflepuffs, he felt he couldn't be completely happy knowing Peter was free - even if is situation was no better, and possibly worse, than Sirius'.

OOO

A/N: There will be a little more character variety next chapter, promise. And things will get a little more exciting regarding Sirius and Peter in addition to the problem of the stone. :) Hope you enjoyed and that you'll stick around for the next installment. Reviews are, as always, appreciated and constructive criticism/suggestions are as well.


	27. Getting into Trouble

OOO

When Harry woke up the next morning, he was still somewhat tired out from the previous evening's practice. Nevertheless he was eager to hear what Nott had to tell him about the exploring they'd done the previous evening and Theo willingly filled him in. Through most of the tale Harry just nodded as if all of the actions, including Draco's enthusiasm, were expected. When Nott told of how he calmed the animal down, however, Harry quirked an eyebrow.

"Didn't know you played violin," he yawned, still trying to wake up.

"Well... I did. A little." Theo leaned against his bed's headboard. "My mum taught me. The instrument was hers."

"Oh."

"Anyway..." Theo changed the subject and went back to telling the story. Harry had been hoping Theo would explain a little more in depth, but he didn't; unlike Draco who ran on about what his mother and father were involved in and what they did with him or Harry who had dozens of horror stories about his aunt and uncle, Theo's home life was a bit of a mystery to his friends. They knew he had a father who was older and very strict and that Theo's mother had died when he was very young; but beyond that he kept silent.

As soon as the story was over, Theo started searching for a fresh robe. Harry wanted to turn over and go back to sleep, but Theo refused to let him and he supposed he ought to get cleaned up and face the day. He was hungry anyway; riding on a broom made him surprisingly famished and the previous night's dinner seemed ages ago. On his way down from the dorms he saw Fred and George about to leave the common room.

"Hey guys," he grinned and walked over. "Any luck with the map yet?"

"None," Fred sighed. "Either he's not out of the forest or he's figured out a way to circumvent the maps enchantment. I would say the first before the second. I'm sure he'd like to leave but that's a pretty big place and it wouldn't be hard to get lost in it."

Harry sighed, disappointed. "Well, thanks anyway."

"No problem. We'll keep an eye on it in case anything develops," George assured him.

Theo came down just then and the four of them went to breakfast together. When they reached the hall they saw Draco already sitting with the Hufflepuffs. He waved to them and gave them a smile, but Theo thought he looked a bit forlorn that Dragon couldn't come down to eat with him. Even at Hogwarts it was strange to see Draco without him; he'd practically been an attachment.

Up in Draco's room, Sirius was missing the boys just as much and possibly more. He'd gotten used to being around them, plotting and getting into trouble. Even when he couldn't speak it had almost been like being back at Hogwarts with James and Remus. But as usual, as with everything in the past decade or so, it seemed, Peter managed to ruin his life. Now, thanks to the Weasley boy, they couldn't even find where he was. Sirius had made an attempt at tracking him through scent but as soon as he got to the edge of the forest, near where they had seen Ron that day without knowing what he was doing, the innumerable scents overwhelmed him and he couldn't sort them out. Though he was an Animagi, his brain was still too human to decipher and track the way a true dog might.

Thus he was forced to pace about in Draco's bedroom, waiting. The only times he was allowed out was when under the invisibility cloak. Yet even that made Theo nervous since he sometimes slipped and forget to keep his voice low. Draco tried assuring his friend that they would probably out of Peter's sensory range regardless, but they kept the map nearby at all times to monitor and make sure he wasn't around. The whole situation was suffocating, and doubly so after Sirius had gotten so used to sneaking out with Draco to crash at Grimmauld place. He could feel himself growing angry and restless and wanted nothing more than for them to find Peter and see him get his due, regardless of the consequences to himself or even, when he was feeling particularly frustrated, to Draco. Almost immediately he would regret such thoughts; it wasn't Draco's fault that he could get caught between Sirius, Peter and his parents.

Even so, Sirius patience was wearing quite thin and possibly nearing its end.

OOO

A few days after their adventure in the forbidden corridor, Draco decided they ought to approach Hagrid about the animal that was in the corridor. He brought it up with Harry and Theo a few evenings later as they were sprawled out on the lawn after dinner.

"We won't know anything else unless we pry," he reasoned. "And the person most likely to know about an animal like that would be Hagrid."

"I'm not so sure about this, Draco. I mean, Dumbledore did make it clear that going in there was against the rules. If we ask Hagrid about it, he'll know we broke them," Theo argued.

"He's not likely to turn us in though, is he?" Draco looked to Harry to back him up.

"No, I wouldn't think so," Harry agreed.

"It's still a risk though, isn't it? Besides, do you really think he knows anything about what lies beyond the dog? He probably just acquired the animal for Dumbledore without knowing anything further about the matter."

"But he was the one who picked up the package in the vault," Harry pointed out. "So he must know something about it."

"And just how do you think you're going to bring the subject up to him?" Theo demanded. "Walk up to him and say 'Excuse us Hagrid, mind telling us about that dog we're not supposed to know about?'"

"Something like that," Draco admitted with a shrug.

Nott sighed in frustration. "You have no subtlety whatsoever, do you?"

"Guess not."

"Well you shouldn't ask him outright like that. All he'll do is clam up. At the very least you should wait for the right time, when he's in the right sort of mood, instead of ambushing him with sensitive questions from out of the blue."

"And just when would that time be?" Harry demanded, impatient.

"I don't know. But with a dog like that, the package isn't going anywhere. We can afford to wait a bit."

"I'll tell you what I can't wait for," Draco sighed, "Is for that slimy rat to show his face. I don't understand it; it's been days. If he was coming out of the forest he should have done so by now."

"Be patient!" Nott admonished. "He could still be lost or hiding or any number of things."

"Or he could have gotten away," Draco grumbled.

"Well going into the forest and getting yourself killed wouldn't help either way, would it?"

"I wouldn't get killed," he retorted confidently.

"Look, guys," Harry interjected, standing, "I've got Quidditch. Let me know before you do anything, OK? I missed one adventure, I'm not missing a second."

"No problem. We should probably be going back ourselves," he sighed. "Homework. You'll help, won't you Theo?"

"I suppose. Off to the library, then."

Harry's need for help on his homework signaled the end of much of their free time; with the first couple weeks of school over, Harry and Draco were forced to be patient not due to Theodore's admonishments, but rather because they simply had no time. Harry, who was constantly practicing Quidditch in addition to his homework, was barely managing even with Theodore's help and Draco went to him too, when he could, or studied in groups with the other Hufflepuffs. Before long, they were reaching the end of October without having figured out anything further.

Theo, in comparison, managed his homework quite well without any further assistance. However, instead of working on either of their problems or getting up to any further mischief on his own, his attention was occupied by a much more frustrating occupation; keeping up with Hermione Granger. He persistently read, fiction and nonfiction, camping out in the library and hoping to make sure that there was nothing in magical theory or Muggle literature on which she could catch him flat-footed. He wasn't about to be shown up by a girl who'd never even known about magic before her letter, not when he'd known about it all his life, and he was loathe to even give her the advantage on the Muggle score. Though he had to admit it was nice to see somebody else appreciate knowledge for its own sake, she was getting precariously close to infuriating him.

It was during Charms with Flitwick that the dam finally burst.

Harry was paired with Seamus and Theodore with Neville; Hermione was working with Lavender Brown next to Theodore. The entire group of Gryffindors was attempting to levitate feathers after a lengthy lecture, complete with dire warnings about the effects of mispronunciation, from the diminutive teacher. Neville, however, was predictably making a mess of it, and Hermione leaned over to offer instruction.

"You're mispronouncing it," she explained after Neville accidentally set the feather on fire and Flitwick extinguished and replaced it. "You need to make the 'gar' longer. Like this," she turned to her own feather and gave her wand a swish and flick. "_Wingardium Leviosa!_" The feather floated upwards and when Flitwick noticed he gave a short clap.

"Look! Ms. Granger's done it!"

After awarding her a few points, he turned his attention to other students not doing so well and Nott turned his to Hermione.

"I could have told him that," he snapped. "You didn't need to interfere. Neville's my partner."

"Sorry!" She acted injured. "I was only trying to help."

"Well don't! You think you're the only one who can do an amateurish charm?" He face his own feather. "_Wingardium Leviosa!_" His feather flew up, even higher than Hermione's and Flitwick gave him a smile too; however, Theo didn't stop there. He pointed his wand towards Hermione's feather and repeated the spell, making that feather fly even higher.

Hermione's expression soured. "_Wingardium Leviosa!_" She flicked her wand at Nott's quill and made it float up.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_" Her school bag suddenly rose and books, papers and quills came tumbling out.

The entire class, Flitwick included, was soon watching the spectacle in dumbfounded amazement with a hint of mute horror. Books, papers, chairs, instruments, and a dozen other sundry items started floating about the room, crashing into the ceiling as Theodore and Hermione each desperately sought for a way to outdo the other. As the rest of the class ducked for cover, their 'wingardiums' became increasingly loud and screechy until, at the hysterical climax, they both pointed to the front of the room and the huge, heavy desk that Flitwick was standing on.

"_WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!_" They screamed in unison.

Flitwick tumbled backwards off the desk and hit the floor with a thud while they desk shot up into the the ceiling at breakneck speed, smashing into it and splintering into hundreds of wood shards that rained down upon Flitwick. Stunned into silence, looks of horror dawned upon the faces of Hermione and Theo while the rest of the class shifted restlessly, unsure of what to do.

"I think we're in trouble," Hermione whispered.

"You think?" Theo whispered back, too shocked to make it even sound decently sarcastic.

OOO

"Of course Bulk-strode wouldn't be invited home for Christmas," Ron rolled his eyes as he walked with Pansy out in the courtyard. "Even her parents don't want her, she's so ugly and inept."

Pansy giggled and suddenly a large, quickly moving mass blundered past them. "And she heard you!" Pansy shrieked, hysterical with laughter. "Did you see her crying?"

"No wonder," Ron forced a chuckle despite a guilty feeling niggling inside him. "She must realize she doesn't have any friends; she shouldn't be so surprised. Besides, she was the one who said something. Did she really think people wouldn't talk about it?"

"Maybe she'll hide in her bed and won't come down for dinner. That would be nice for a change. I always feel like she's listening in on us, in a bad way. And it's creepy the way she never says anything," Pansy remarked, ignoring the fact that she, along with others, made it abundantly clear to Millicent that, as a half-blood, she was unwelcome.

Ron nodded his agreement and they walked on, as he privately resolved not to feel guilty about Millicent's tears. Once they got back to the common room, he distracted himself by playing with the Great Horned Owl Pansy had gotten him as a gift. She'd had it come all the way from America, just for him, and he was still having fun with the novelty of having his own owl - an infinite improvement over that stupid rat, even if it was about as useful since Ron rarely sent or received any letters. He still needed to figure out a name for it, though.

Ganelon sounded about right, he thought in a flash of inspiration.

OOO

As Draco meandered to the Great Hall, he found himself briefly separated from his Hufflepuff friend behind a group of hysterical Slytherin girls.

"Can you believe it, Daphne?" Pansy snickered. "Millicent's been in that old dungeon bathroom all night and she's still down there!"

"All night? Shouldn't somebody go and get her?" Daphne Greengrass replied in an airy voice that was playful and didn't indicate the least measure of concern.

"Let her mope. We're no worse without her."

"Excuse me," Draco pushed past them, sickened by the exchange. Pansy's expression darkened when he walked by but she did nothing to impede him and he soon caught up with Susan, Ernie and Hannah. When they entered into the decorate hall he gave a low whistle; even the galas his parents threw weren't as garishly decorated. Pumpkins were everywhere and live bats were swooping about; he stuck his hand out an one landed upside-down on his finger. Grinning, he gave it a little tummy rub, ignoring the looks he was getting from his friends, before it took off again into the air.

They sat down to feast but didn't have long to appreciate either the decorations or the food set before them. Quirrell came bursting through the door screaming about a troll in the dungeons and it wasn't long before they were being bustled back to their common rooms by the prefects. As they were filing down the hall next to the Gryffindors, a thought suddenly struck Draco.

"Millicent!" He gasped to himself. She was still down there, with nobody the wiser. Well, nobody except for maybe Pansy, Daphne and their other cronies. Certainly they weren't the type to tell anybody that she was down there, especially if it might involve explaining the reason why. And he was fairly certain that he was the only one who'd overheard them.

As they were going past, he noticing Harry and, without thinking, grabbed him by the arm and oriented him in the direction the Hufflepuffs were traveling.

"Draco?" Harry asked incredulously. "Draco, what are you doing?"

"We need to get to the dungeons!" He ducked and weaved through moving students, unnoticed, until they got to a stairwell. "Where's Theo?"

"Detention - he got in trouble with Hermione Granger. But never mind that... the dungeons? Are you nuts? There's a troll down there!"

"I know! But Millicent's down there too; I heard Pansy and Daphne talking about it. They did something to her and she's been down there all night and they won't tell the teachers and would probably deny it if we told the teachers. And everybody's rushing around and nobody's even noticed she's gone..." He was galloping down the stairs, picking up speed as they descended. "We need to find her and get back before anybody notices we're gone."

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

"I'll bet you do, Han."

"What?"

"Movie reference. Never mind. Look, we need to find her - there!" He ran down the hall, dragging Harry with him.

"Draco, we can't go in there!"

"Why not?!"

"It's a girl's loo!"

Draco gave a frustrated sigh. "Nobody's in there! Well, nobody but Millicent. I don't think it even gets used anymore. Besides, even if it did, everybody else is upstairs. No one's down here going to the bathroom. We just need to get in, get out, and make sure nobody finds us - the teachers or the troll."

He pushed the door open and it sounded quiet at first. After a moment, though, they heard a sniffle.

"Millicent?" Draco asked carefully.

"What?" A voice snapped from the furthest stall. "If you come in here I'll... I'll hex you!"

"Millicent, relax. We're not here to make fun of you or anything."

"Then why are you here?" The girl's voice demanded.

"There's a troll down here. You need to leave. We thought we should warn you." Draco and Harry took a couple tentative steps into the bathroom, towards the sound.

"How did you even know I was here?"

"I overheard Pansy. Look, it isn't important, let's just go before..."

The thud of a heavy footstep came from behind them and a putrid stench suddenly wafted into the bathroom. Harry and Draco turned around slowly to see an enormous 12-foot mountain troll standing in the door way. The grey, lumpy beast towered over them and looked confused at first, before it smashed it's way into the bathroom and started lumbering towards them. Millicent stepped out of the stall and screamed just as Harry and Draco were stumbling backwards towards the wall.

"I think we're in trouble," Harry winced as it broke a sink off the wall with its club.

"You think?" Draco replied in a voice that verged on hysterical.

OOO

A/N: So a tiny cliffhanger. Next chapter will have the troll fight, Nott and Hermione in detention, a bit of Peter, and some Quidditch. Possibly out before the seventh book. Or not. But probably - writing helps to distract me from my eager, nervous waiting. :) I hope you enjoyed and, as always, reviews/comments/critiques are much appreciated.


	28. A Few Points Deducted

OOO

"This is all your fault," Hermione snapped as she squirted more cauldron cleaner into the basin they were scrubbing in. Her arms were red and raw, and the edges of her sleeves were dripping though she'd pushed them up to her elbows. "You shouldn't have made such a big deal of everything. It was just a little advice."

"My fault?" Theo's arms were just as red and he scrubbed furiously. "Your advice was unsolicited and impertinent. Keep it to yourself the next time." He rinsed the cauldron out and set it aside to dry before moving on to another. "You keep doing that - I can't stand it! We all know you have the answers. You don't have to keep showing off."

They were each frowning into a basin of suds in the dungeon, where they had been sentenced to clean cauldrons for the rest of the evening as their punishment. Flitwick had given them a long lecture about how disappointing it was to see two students with such potential behaving so immaturely before telling them that they would be scrubbing instead of enjoying themselves at the feast. Each blamed the other for the trouble, so for the first few hours they remained silent and clanged the cauldrons around to evidence their displeasure.

"Well what about you?" She retorted. "You intrude at least as often as I do."

"Because I have something intelligent to say!"

"And I don't?" She sniffed. "Hypocritical much?" When Theo didn't respond, she sighed. "Look, this is rather silly, don't you think? I mean, half the time you're the only one who understands me..."

"What do you mean by that?" He cast a suspicious glance at her.

"You know," she replied airily. "You're one of the few wizards I've met our age who has a vocabulary and understands things like compound sentences and complex ideas."

He chuckled despite himself. "Yeah, Harry and Draco are great guys but not exactly the sharpest crayons in the box." Then he remembered who he was being friendly to and the scowl reappeared. "But so what if I am?"

"Well, don't you think all this competition is a little silly?" She dried off another cauldron. "I mean, remember that really good conversation we had on the Hogwarts Express about literature?"

"Yeah?"

"I haven't had one of those in ages... Lavender and Parvati are nice and all, but you can't really have a _conversation _with them. Not about things like literature or theory."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." He lifted the basin and poured out the blackened water before filling it up again with fresh, clear water and dumping in more suds. "I suppose it is silly, the way I've been behaving. Besides, it isn't as if you've gotten me into a situation any worse than the one's Draco and Harry have gotten me into and they're my friends."

"So then... read anything good lately?"

"I finished off _Ethan Frome_ but it didn't impress me that much."

"Me neither. Have you started on anything else?"

"Amidst all the piles of homework we've been assigned? Barely. But I did manage to squeeze in a few dozen pages of _Orlando Furioso _the other day."

"Are you reading it in translation?"

"Unfortunately yes, as much as it embarrasses me to admit it. My Italian vocabulary isn't very good yet. I really like the story and the characters though."

"Ah. I know about it but I've never read it."

"It's good. I'll lend you my copy at some point if you want," he casually offered.

"I think I'd like that."

There was a slam behind them and they turned around to see a breathless Flitwick.

"Troll... down... leave... now..."

"What?" Hermione felt confused and, from the look on his face, Theo did as well.

"There's a troll down here!" Flitwick burst out. "Professor Quirrell just told us! You have to leave, now! You've done enough for your detention, just get back to your dorms."

They nodded and dropped what they were doing to dash down the hall. Flitwick went off to find his own Ravenclaws as Theo and Hermione took a different stairwell up. As they were rounding a corner, Theo grabbed Hermione's arm.

"Look!"

"What?"

"It's Snape... But he's not going down to the Slytherin dorms. It looks like he's..." Theo frowned, as they watched him disappear down the hall. "The only thing in that direction is the door with that dog behind it!"

"Dog? What dog?"

"I'll tell you later; come on, we need to hurry before he comes back." If it had been any other teacher, Theo might have been tempted to spy and see if he could get more clues to the puzzle.

Snape, however, was one teacher whom he did not want to risk getting into trouble with and who might be dangerous in a way that went beyond losing points.

They arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady just in time to see Percy herding in the rest of the first years.

"Come along you two," he called to them and they dashed in with the rest of their class.

Food had been laid out in lieu of the Great Hall feast and they lined up and grabbed plates with the rest of the Gryffindors. By the time they'd gotten their food, Theo had a chance to look around and a thought struck him.

"You know," he told Hermione, "I don't think I see Harry."

"I wonder where he could be. You don't think he's getting into trouble, do you?"

"Knowing Harry - I wouldn't expect anything less," he sighed. "Well, nothing to do now. We can't sneak back out - Percy's watching the door like a hawk. Whatever he's doing he'll have to live through it himself. I just hope he's alright with that troll about."

OOO

"This is it..." Draco groaned. "Well Harry, it's been nice knowing you."

The troll had advanced slowly before being distracted by a towel dispenser. The two boys whispered an exchange, hoping it would remain occupied long enough for them to think of something.

"Oh come on, we're not beaten yet!" Harry said with forced optimism. "We could still... um... rush him?"

"Wish Theo were here... he'd know a spell we could do. Stupid Theo, getting detentions at the worst time."

"That's it!" Harry gasped.

"What's it? Getting detention? We probably will if we live, but that's not looking too likely at the moment, is it?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Not that, you idiot. Theo's spell - the one he got in trouble for, the one we learned in Flitwick's! We can make the troll levitate and maybe we can knock him out!"

"Or make him fall on top of us," Draco remarked dryly.

"Well, then, we'll levitate the sink on top of him and knock him out." Draco raised an eyebrow at him. "Well I don't hear you coming up with anything better! At least this is an improvement over sitting around and hoping he'll decide to take a nap." He turned around and looked at Millicent who was backed into the stall again. "Come on, Milli. You too. Help us out and we can all get out of this. OK?"

For a moment, she frowned and it looked like she was going to refuse to help a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff. Then he reached into her robes and pulled out her wand with a sigh. Taking a few steps forward, she fell into line on the other side of Harry. He stood with Draco beside him on the left and Millicent on the right, their wands lifted.

"So - troll or sinks?" Draco asked.

"With all three of us? Straight for the troll. OK? And we'll move if he falls. On the count of three."

Suddenly, the troll growled and faced them, lifting its club.

"Three!" Harry shouted in a panic.

"_WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!_" They screamed and swished and flicked as though their lives depended on it.

The troll slammed into the roof like Flitwick's desk had and bits of plaster crumbled down and fell around them. It came back to earth with a crash and suddenly slumped over in the second stall, crumpling the door and smashing the toilet inside it.

"Whoa..." Draco looked down at the troll, amazed.

"At least he fell to the side?" Harry suggested brightly.

There was a sound of rushing footsteps and the next moment they looked up to see McGonagall at the doorway along with Snape and, after him, Quirrell. .

"Um... hi?" Draco gave them a little wave.

While Quirrell staggered backwards and slumped down against the wall and Snape went to examine the troll, McGonagall came storming over. Fury was etched into every line of her face and Harry and Draco could feel their hearts sinking as she confronted them.

"What on earth were you three thinking?" Her anger radiated so strongly Harry was sure he could feel it like a heated wave. "You could have died! Why didn't you follow your classmates back to your dormitories?"

"Um... well..." Draco wracked his brain for an excuse.

"You see, it... uh..." Harry fell silent when Snape glared at him.

"They came for me," Millicent suddenly broke in gruffly. McGonagall's attention turned to her, as did Harry's and Draco's. "I came down here look for the troll because I wanted to wrestle it." She punched her fist against the palm of her hand for effect. "Always wondered if I could take one on my own. Turned out to be a little much for me, though," she coughed in an embarrassed fashion.

The jaws of th two boys nearly dropped to the floor and Draco's wand tumbled out of his grasp. A Slytherin lying in front of the head of her house to protect a Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor?

"If they hadn't come to find me... well it probably would have been too late if they hadn't or if they've gone looking for a teacher. I can take on a lot but that thing woulda walloped me good. But they came up with a plan to use the levitating charm and we knocked it out, the three of us."

"I see. Well then..." She pointed at Millicent first. "Do you know how foolish that was? To even think of attempting to wrestle a troll? Did you ever even see one, know how big it would be?" Millicent looked down and shook her head 'no.' McGonagall sighed before continuing. "Five points will be taken from Slytherin for this."

Snape gave her a vicious glare as she shuffled out and Draco and Harry felt a stab of guilt, even if they hadn't done anything precisely.

"And as for you two..." She faced Harry and Draco. "That was a stupid thing you did as well. But, as you were helping a classmate... and given that it demonstrates a quick level of thinking, not to mention talent to levitate the troll, you will get fives points each for your respective houses. Now get back, before I reconsider.

They went to leave, but then Draco turned around.

"Um... ma'am?"

"What?" She snapped, looking up from the troll's body.

"Shouldn't Millicent get some points too? She did help us knock it out and was as much a part of the spell as we were."

Gryffindor's house head sighed. "Very well, then. Five points to her for that and if you see her you may tell her."

Draco smiled and they dashed out, trying to catch up to her. Even the cold, musty dungeon air was better than the stench of the troll and they sucked it into their lungs with relief. Seeing Millicent going down towards the Slytherin dorms, they ran to catch up with her.

"Millicent!" Harry called out. "Wait up!"

She halted in her steps and turned around. "Yeah?"

They pulled up to her, panting and trying to catch their breath.

"Draco got McGonagall to give you five points for helping us out. So you broke even. Just so you know."

"Oh. Well. Um... thanks." She nodded to them. "And... for the other thing too. You know, the troll."

"Yeah, well... it was nothing," Harry blushed and looked to Draco, then they laughed in unison.

"And hey... don't let Pansy get to you, OK? Or Ron either. They're a couple of jerks and you shouldn't listen to them."

Millicent turned and started walking away and for a moment, Draco was worried that he'd offended her. Then she turned around and gave them a smile.

"Next time I'll punch them in the face instead of crying about it," she smiled.

"That's the spirit!" Draco gave her a thumbs up before turning with Harry to get back to their own dorms and join their houses for what was left of the feast.

The moment Harry walked through the portrait, he was set upon by Theo.

"Where have you been?" He demanded, pulling Harry over to a seat next to him and Hermione without even giving him the chance to get food.

"Oh, the usual. Just knocking out a troll," he grinned.

"What!" Hermione gasped.

Theo only rolled his eyes. "I should have known. And that's where Draco was too, I take it?"

"Let me grab a plate and I'll tell you all about it."

A few floors down in the Slytherin dorm, Pansy likewise remarked on Millicent's absence. As it turned out, Millicent lost points for the Slytherins that day after all, when Pansy ended up in Madame Pomfrey's with a missing tooth and Snape found Millicent standing off to one side in the common room with bloody knuckles, threatening to do it again to the next person who opened their mouth.

OOO

"Of course I'll be cheering for you," Millicent snorted when they asked her about the upcoming Quidditch match towards the end of November. She leaned in closer to the fire Hermione had made to warm her hands. "Marcus Flint tried to set fire to my cat the other day and called me... well..." She looked at Hermione. "The M-word. You know."

Gryffindor was facing off against Slytherin that Saturday and Harry would be competing for the first time in an actual Quidditch match. Thus far Wood had been keeping the extent of Harry's talent under wraps, leading to derisive comments from some about his talent. Draco and Theo knew the extent of his skill, however, and their vote of confidence was enough for most of the Hufflepuffs and all of the Gryffindors.

Harry was sitting next to the fire with Theo, each of them thumbing through a book; Theo was reading something he'd called 'Transcendentalist poetry' while Harry was perusing a copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_ that Draco got him as a good luck gift for his first match, complete with a 'Good luck Harry - your friend Draco' scrawled inside the cover. It was the perfect gift, full of interesting trivia and Harry found that it helped to relax and distract him. Hermione, Millicent, Susan and Hannah were with them, talking between themselves while Draco was on the other side of Theo playing a came of wizard's chess with Ernie, a game he was losing badly. Theo glanced over it every now and again and rolled his eyes; Draco really was hopeless at some things.

As they relaxed and enjoyed their break, Draco suddenly glance up from his devastating loss and frowned. "Uh-oh guys. Watch out - Snape."

Theo banished the fire with a flick of his wand and they all tried to look as innocent as possible. Whether it was the size of the group that drew him or their obvious unease at the sight of him limping across the courtyard, they didn't know. But he came over, a grimace on his face as if he were looking for a way to get them into trouble.

"What are you lot doing?" He snapped.

"Nothing," Theodore replied coldly when all of the others fell silent. "Reading, talking and playing chess. Surely that's not against the rules?"

"Ten points off for your cheek, Nott," Snape growled. "And..." He confiscated the two books from Theo and Harry as they stared in disbelief. "No library books outside. Five more points from each of you."

"Hey!" Theo called after a second, but Snape was moving away as if he hadn't heard.

"That book was a gift!" Harry was indignant.

"I know," Draco rolled his eyes. "What a jerk."

"Want me to get 'em back?" Millicent offered.

"You can't punch a teacher, Millie," Susan admonished. "Maybe he'll give it back if you ask nicely?"

"Fat chance of that," Ernie snorted as he and Draco were putting away the chess pieces, Ernie's laughing jubilantly at Draco's.

"Yeah," Draco concurred. "He hates Gryffindors - and especially Harry."

"Well I'm getting them back," Theo shoved his hands in his pockets to warm them. "Snape or not, _nobody _takes my books and keeps them. Draco? Can I borrow your cloak after dinner?"

"Sure thing Theo," Draco said, picking up his school bag. "Just make sure you don't get caught. I want my cloak back, you know."

"Oh you'll get it back. Your book too Harry." His brow furrowed in anger and he stormed off to class, angrier than any of them had seen him in a while.

"I hope he doesn't do anything rash," Hermione fretted.

"Who, Theo? Ah don't worry about him," Draco reassured her.

"Why? Because he's got more sense than you?"

"Nah. Because he's better at not getting caught." Draco winked then turned up a stairwell with the other three Hufflepuffs and Millicent.

"Argh!" She sighed in frustration and Harry laughed.

"Draco's right though," he said. "If there's anybody who can do this without getting caught, it's him."

"Can't you do anything to persuade him otherwise?"

"When it comes to his books? I doubt it; he guards them viciously. And besides - I'd like mine back too."

"Boys," she rolled her eyes as they headed into the classroom.

OOO

Glancing both ways, Quirrell made sure nobody was looking then concentrated very hard on thoughts of needed to talk to his master. A door appeared and he ducked into it. Sitting on a sofa there was a portly, disheveled man surrounded by empty food wrappings and containers.

"Do I have to stay here?" He whined. "I'm bored doing nothing all day!"

"This is the only Unplottable place in the castle," Quirrell snapped. "Unless you wanted to stay in your rat form and hide under my turban. That map you told me about wasn't in Filch's file so it's altogether possible that some student has it."

"Well can't you find out?"

"No! I can't do anything without looking too suspicious," he retorted, unwrapped the turban. "Quit complaining or I'll throw you back in the forest where I found you."

"You know, you could at least show a little gratitude," he grumbled. "I told you about this place after all; otherwise you'd have to keep going out there."

"Will the both of you shut up?" An icy voice came from the back of his head and their mouths closed immediately. "We have more important things to discuss. Namely, the Quidditch match. It's not much of an opportunity, but it is a chance. If he slides off his broom and breaks his neck, nobody would be the wiser..."

"But what about Snape?" Quirrell trembled.

"DEAL WITH IT!" He thundered. "Are you or aren't you my servant?" Quirrell nodded. "Then act like it!"

"What about me, Master?" Peter spoke up in a nervous voice.

"You... I have a special task for you, you little vermin..."

OOO

A/N: Yesterday, July 10th, was this fic's two-year anniversary, so to celebrate there's an extra chapter. :) A few new friends are made, things end on a few little cliffhangers to spice things up and I will see you next chapter! I hope you all enjoyed and if you'd like, leave a review - they're always much appreciated. :) 


	29. Rising Suspicion

OOO

"Well that was interesting," Nott commented the moment he returned to the common room and found Harry and Hermione sitting off to one side.

"What do you mean by that?" Hermione asked.

"Did you get the books back?" Harry added before he could reply.

"Right here," Nott said, passing him _Quidditch Through the Ages_. "And mine too. I learned something really important tonight though." He leaned over to them and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Snape went after that dog on the third floor."

"What!" Hermione gasped by managed to keep her disbelief relatively quiet. "Nott, that isn't possible. He's a teacher."

"So?" Harry snapped, eager to believe something untoward of the man who disliked him so much. "I could believe it. How did you find out?"

"I was sneaking about with the cloak and wondered if he might have taken the books to the teacher's lounge. I would have checked in the dungeons first, but the lounge was on the way and it was as likely a spot as any. When I go there, I heard him muttering inside so I pushed the door open a crack. He was there, getting bandaged up by Filch, grumbling about getting past all three heads at once. That's why his was walking oddly earlier today; he injured himself trying to get past the dog."

"Serves him right," Harry sniffed. "So what did you do?"

"Slipped out before he could notice me; I can't even imagine how furious he would have been if he'd known I was there. Went to the dungeons and found the books sure enough, lying on the desk at the front of the room. They weren't even in a drawer. So I simply scooped them up and took them and if he wants to give me detention later, at least I have my Emerson back."

"Knowing him he'll probably blame me too." Harry rolled his eyes. "Since it was my book you took as well."

"Sorry – should I have left it there?" Nott retorted dryly.

"No, no. I'm glad it's back. Need it for tomorrow. Just saying that Snape's a git is all."

"A suspicious git."

"I still don't believe it!" Hermione interjected for the first time in a long while. "I mean, he's a teacher. Why would he try something like that? Especially when it means going against Dumbledore."

"Being a teacher is no assurance of innocence," Nott remarked.

"Maybe you were mistaken?"

"Not a bit of it. I know what I saw and what he said. I suppose he could have been trying to get past something else with three heads, huge claws and sharp teeth, but how likely is that?"

Hermione fell silent; even she had to admit that it was a bit difficult to defend Snape's actions, given the circumstances. Harry, who had already developed a strong dislike for him, had no problem mentally convicting him, nor did Nott after the seizure of his literature. She was the last holdout among them, but at last she nodded.

"I guess you could be right. But what should we do about it? Tell Dumbledore?"

"No way; that would involve us revealing Draco's cloak and letting him know I was breaking the rules. Several times, since my knowledge of the dogs means we went down the forbidden corridor. Besides – he might not believe us. The word of a first year or three against the words of a faculty member? Even Dumbledore isn't that nice. Let's keep an eye on him for now, and if something else happens, maybe then we can act."

"You two can decide what to do," Harry stood with a yawn. "I think I'm getting to bed, now that I have my book back. A little light reading and then I'm hitting the sack."

Hermione nodded, understanding. "That's probably a good idea. You don't want to be late or unrested for your first match."

"Tell me about it," he sighed. "I'm worried about enough things. Don't need to be falling off my broom from lack of sleep too."

He stumbled up the stairs on the boy's side of the dorms and made for his bed. Nott continued to sit beside Hermione in silence for a few moments before opening his book and running his fingers across the pages.

"You really like those poems, don't you?"

"I like all of my books," he replied smoothly.

"Seriously? There's never been a book you've just hated?"

"I tend to stay away from the ones that are almost guaranteed to be worthless. Romance novels and the like. Occasionally I might read something for an entertaining indulgence. And some books I do not _enjoy_, although I do still _value_ them. But in my experience, any work into which the author has put at least some amount of effort is worth reading on some level. There's always something to be gained from the reading of it."

"Do you have a favorite?" She looked at him turn a page and read the words _Song of Myself_ at the top of the leaf.

"Would it be cliché to tell you I have too many favorites to name?"

"You can't get out of the question that easily," she smiled. "Come on. I just want to know what stuff you like better than what other stuff."

"I can tell you some of what I don't like. I'm not a very big science fiction fan – H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, etcetera, although Ray Bradbury is a notable exception to that rule. I find James Joyce to be tedious and even pretentious but I can still manage to muddle through his work. And my feelings towards some of Dickens' works are inexpressible in polite company."

"Oddly enough I really don't find any of that surprising. Well, except for the Dickens part, maybe. Why him?"

"Everything's a coincidence with that man! _A Tale of Two Cities_ was nearly unreadable. And little Nell's death… it's enough to make me retch. Of course he's of tremendous social and literary import, and I don't mind _David Copperfield_ or _A Christmas Carol _nearly as much. But mostly he's so stiff and hackneyed… you get the idea."

"Well enough about what you don't like – what do you like?"

He gave her a mischievous smile. "As I said, it's hard to narrow it down. But I can tell you this; the ones I like the most are the ones that have a character I should deeply wish to emulate." With that, he snapped the book shut, stood and then walked in the direction of the stairwell. "I think I'm going to emulate Harry for once and turn in. Good night."

He disappeared up the steps, leaving her looking after him, dumbfounded and a bit puzzled as to what books he might be referring to.

OOO

"Remember," Draco leaned over and whispered in his dog's ear, "That Harry's game is tomorrow. We can't risk you being seen by Peter and the crowd will be too large to let us use the invisibility cloak safely – it could get ripped off – but you should be able to see everything out of the window in Gryffindor tower. We'll take you there before breakfast." Sirius gave a short bark and Draco sighed. "I know," he muttered. "I wish you could see it too."

Giving Dragon on last pat on the head, Draco stood and started getting ready for bed. As he did the curtains rustled and pulled apart to reveal Ernie.

"Hey Draco," he grinned. "Ready for the Quidditch game tomorrow?"

"Oh yeah," he said, his enthusiasm written on his face. "I can't wait; Harry's going to be awesome."

"You really think so? I know he's your friend and all, but…"

"I know so. I've seen him fly," he said, thinking of the times they'd messed about in Grimmauld Place with old brooms of Sirius' or ones that Draco snatched, swooping down hallways and stairwells, crashing into paintings and the like.

"They let you come to their practices?" Ernie asked and Draco realized with a blush that, since Harry was supposed to have been living with Muggles, that was the only place where he would have seen him playing Quidditch.

"Um… yeah. I mean, they mostly want to keep it a secret, but being a close friend and all, I dropped by once or twice."

Ernie nodded as if it made perfect sense – which to him, it did. "And you think he's good enough to beat Slytherin?"

"I'd say so, yeah."

"Well, I hope so too, and I think everybody else does as well even if they tease Potter about being a first year. All of the older students are tired of Slytherin winning everything, like last year; well, all of the older students who aren't in Slytherin."

"That reminds me – mind if a Slytherin sits with us tomorrow?"

"Millicent?" Draco nodded in affirmation. "Yeah, I guess so. But aren't we supposed to sit by house?"

"People do traditionally. But you don't absolutely have to. Most people just do because… well, it makes sense. Most people know people in their house best and all. But since she's cheering for Harry I thought we might let her sit by us. Slytherins being Slytherins and Gryffindors being Gryffindors and all…"

"I understand. No problem. Although I'll ask Susan and Hannah just to be sure, I don't think they'll have a problem with it. They seemed to be getting along with her well enough the other day."

"You mean when you were trouncing me at wizard chess?"

"Yeah," Ernie grinned. "Speaking of which – care for another game any time soon?"

"Pft. Not likely. At leat not with other people watching."

Ernie laughed, and then went back to the curtains. "G'night then."

"Night," Draco replied, crawling into his own four-poster and pulling the covers up around him.

He really, really hoped Harry won tomorrow.

OOO

Heading back to the Slytherin common room with Pansy fairly attached to his arm, Ron was absolutely livid.

"Calm down!" She begged. "It's not the end of the world. You shouldn't do anything stupid!"

He couldn't hear her, however; his ears were buzzing and his face was red with rage. It had all started out so well. The whole house was still coming down from the enthusiasm of winning the cup the previous year, so the air had been electric. Pansy had gotten in a stab or two at that traitor Millicent who was, apparently, going to sit with that bunch of duffers in Hufflepuff. He couldn't have been happier; she wasn't good enough to sit with them and it was about time she recognized that.

Despite all of the boasting that the Gryffindors had made, all of the pretentious bragging and boasting, Harry hadn't been able to circumvent Flint. And then he'd begun flying absolutely terribly. Everybody around them had pointed and laughed as his jerky flying and it didn't really matter to Ron whether or not he was just that terrible or whether there was foul play afoot. The point was that the famous Harry Potter was screwing up in front of everybody in the school, much to his immense delight.

Then somehow, before he even knew what was happening, Harry was screaming that he had the Snitch and the game was over. That idiot friend of Fred and George's was screaming out their victory and Ron felt like he was going to be sick.

"He just got lucky!" Pansy was still at his side, trying to calm him down. "Ron, don't get worked up, you won't be able to track him down and you'll get into trouble if you do anything to them…"

"Well then what do you suggest I do?" He whirled on her in a fury. "He's going to be insufferable now!"

"Don't fly off the handle," she snapped. Then she drew nearer, watching Crabbe and Goyle catch up to them out of the corner of her eye. "Be a Slytherin," she whispered. "Be sneaky."

OOO

"It take it that it didn't work," Peter commented when Quirrell returned to the room, his face looking like thunder.

"That's n-n-none of your b-b-business," he snapped – well, snapped as well as he could between his nervous stammering. "Did you get w-w-what you were s-s-supposed to?"

"Yes. It took me forever, though. The game was practically over by the time I dragged the last few ingredients back here."

"At least you got it done b-b-before everybody came back," Quirrell replied, looking over the items that Peter had stolen from Snape's stores. As a rat, he was small enough to get into such places and was proving to be useful. The only difficulty was that Quidditch games were the only times he could act; with everybody at the game they could be fairly assured that nobody would be looking at the map or noticing a rat scurrying around with potions ingredients and a definite purpose.

"What're you planning to brew?" Pettigrew asked nervously.

"That's n-n-none of your business!" Quirrell shrieked.

"Well, he better not be expecting me to brew it," Pettigrew replied in a high-strung voice. "I can't do anything like that, terrible in Potions when I was here…"

"J-j-just forget it!" Quirrell blurted. "You d-d-did your part!"

He left the room rapidly after glancing through the ingredients once more and Peter slumped in relief. At least the Dark Lord hadn't made an appearance; and better that Quirrell fail than him.

OOO

Nott puffed on the tea Hagrid had given him as Hermione attempted to convince the game keeper about the fact that Snape had been hexing Harry. They had, along with Harry and Draco, dashed over to Hagrid's house. Draco looked at them skeptically; he could have easily believed it, but he hadn't been there to see for himself. Though given his sighting of Snape in the dog's corridor and what Nott had told him about the gashes on his leg, having filled Draco in while they were busy transporting Dragon to Gryffindor tower, he was leaning in the direction of Snape being something far more sinister.

"I know its sounds ridiculous," Nott added. "After all, unpleasant though he may be, he is still a teacher. However, we have other reasons to believe as such. I saw gashes on his leg and him muttering about getting past all three heads." Nott admitted it nervously, finally deeming that Hagrid believing them outweighed the possible consequence of Hagrid turning them in over the matter of the dog.

"And I saw him going down that corridor the night the troll attacked," Draco added.

"Wha'?" Hagrid looked shocked. "You lot know 'bout Fluffy?"

"Fluffy?" Hermione uttered in disbelief.

""Yes!" Draco burst in. "Isn't he absolutely magnificent? Where did you get him?

"Greek chappie in th' pub…"

"Figures," Nott muttered.

"And his coat was simply magnificent and those teeth – I'll tell you, you'd go a long way before seeing something so heart-stopping and amazing… I mean, he could defend from just about anything."

"Draco!" Nott interrupted him. "I know you like the dog, but we need to know…"

"I know, couldn' he though?" Hagrid was beaming and sharing in Draco's enthusiasm, prattling on as much as the boy was. "Tha's why I lent him to Dumbledore to guard.." Suddenly he fell silent, realizing that the kids were focused on him.

"Guard what?" Harry asked.

"Ferget it, can't tell yeh. Top secret." He turned to make another pot of tea.

"But it could be stolen by Snape!" Hermione wailed.

They fell back into arguing about Snape's relative guilt or innocence, with Hermione loudly citing her knowledge about jinxes and Hagrid insisting in a loud voice that they had misread the situation and that whatever Fluffy was guarding was safe. It ended with him outright shouting at them to forget the whole matter.

"It's between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel!" He admonished them crossly.

"Flamel?" Nott repeated. "The famous alchemist?"

More furious with himself than with them, Hagrid yelled, shouted, begged and pleaded for them to forget the whole matter, though when they left his house he suspected they hadn't.

"Flamel?" Harry repeated as they trudged back to the school. "Who's he?"

"Flamel was a celebrated alchemist from long ago," Nott replied.

"Well then how could Dumbledore know him? How 'long ago' are we talking?" Draco quirked an eyebrow.

"Very long – centuries. But the thing Flamel is most know for," he frowned, "is the creation of the Philosopher's Stone."

"The Philosopher's Stone?" Hermione gasped.

"I know," Nott sighed. "I think we might be in trouble…"

Harry and Draco, however, exchanged blank looks.

"What's so bad about a stone?" Draco asked.

"I'll explain on the way," Nott rolled his eyes.

OOO

A/N: So there you have it. And I have read DH and gained many plot bunnies from it, so I might be writing a few more HP stories over the coming weeks. As for this story, there won't be any explicit spoilers for a long, long while, although I now know some of my facts were inaccurate (about dwellings and such). I might go back and change those, but in the future things will be described accurately, so it will be in one's interest to have read DH.

Next chapter (probably) – Christmastime, the Mirror of Erised and more about Nott, other characters and what Voldy and co. are up to. See you then.


	30. Perchance to Dream

OOO

"I know why I'm staying," Harry told Nott after McGonagall had come around with the list of those staying. "But why are you? I thought you had a home like Draco's."

"I told you before – my father will be furious the moment he finds out I'm in Gryffindor," Theo told him as he dipped his quill in ink. "That means not coming home until summer. Besides, with just me and him in the house it's not like Christmas was that much of a celebration anyway. I'll probably have more fun here at the school."

"What about Grimmauld?" Harry's voice dropped to a whisper. "Are we still planning to go there over break?"

"If we can ditch Hermione," Nott whispered back. She had been hanging out with them more and more, but Draco still didn't feel at easy making her privy to their deeper secrets. Nott rolled his eyes and brought up the fact that they mentioned it to Fred and George, why couldn't they trust her? After all, she knew about the Philosopher's Stone. And being a newcomer to the wizarding world meant that she wouldn't have a predisposition to mistrust Sirius. The argument had ended with a resounded 'maybe later,' putting an end to the discussion momentarily.

"No need," Harry replied. "She's going home, remember?"

"Oh. Yeah. Well, that makes sense." He stopped writing on his scroll for a moment. "I forgot. She does have a family, doesn't she?"

"You forgot?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"I just… well, _your _guardians didn't seem particularly keen to have you come home."

"That's a special case. My guardians aren't my parents – most normal parents are pretty loving, just like wizard ones. And my guardians happen to be, well, jerks. I doubt Hermione's are."

"I suppose not. I wasn't thinking, over-generalized. My mind just jumped to the idea that if we didn't want to go home, why would she?" He sighed. "Not that I would know anything about good parents or guardians." Putting a final period at the end of the sentence, Nott looked over the parchment, satisfied, before rolling it up.

"Is your dad really that bad?" Harry glanced at him over the top of his charms book.

"He's hands off," Nott shrugged. "I rarely see him. Normally I stay in the library and read when I'm not visiting Draco. He wants me out of his way and I'm happy to stay out of it."

"You can yell at me if you like," Harry said. "I know I don't always like people bringing it up. But what about your mother? When she was alive."

Nott looked at him, his eyes pained. "I hardly remember," he whispered. "There's nothing bad. I just… things are muddled. I was very young when she died so it's not surprising. And my father isn't an emotional man – there are no pictures of me or even himself, to say nothing of her. So I don't even have that. I wish I could recall more, but there's only a vague feeling. Although…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm almost certain she read to me. At least once or twice. I only remember snatches, sometimes a dream or two, but I do remember sitting on a lap with paper and words in front of me. I don't remember what she read, but I remember that. Father never read to me so I know the memory didn't come from him. There's not much else I can say for certain. But that alone makes me think that if she were alive, I'd be spending this holiday with her."

Harry nodded; he too wished he had a mother to decorate a tree or bake cookies or open presents with. But at least he had the consolation, however slim it was, that his mother had died fighting for him.

"How did your mother die?" He didn't know for sure why he was pressing Nott, but the other boy opened up so rarely that any opportunity to find out more about him was tempting. The approaching holidays, however, seemed to make him sentimental and slightly more talkative.

"She got sick, that's all." Nott shrugged. "I don't… I don't even know what it was, my father never told me. I never asked." He frowned. "I saw her die, it's why I can see thestrals. She had been sick for a long time. The day it happened she was sitting on her bed, her hair was spread around her like a halo. And then she looked at me, whispered something. Then her body shuddered and… and she died." He swallowed and blinked. "I'm sorry."

"No, no. It's alright. I'm sorry. Shouldn't have asked."

Uproarious laughter suddenly filled the common room and they looked up to see Fred and George tumbling through the door, covered in snow.

"What have you two been getting up to?" Nott asked as they came over, making sure that the melting snow didn't drip on his essay.

"Snowballs," George laughed.

"We enchanted a few of them to pelt Quirrell. Guy went nuts."

"And gave you detention, I assume?"

"Oh yeah, two weeks worth after the break." Fred winked. "But it was worth it."

They went charging up the stairs to change out of their wet clothes and the moment between Harry and Nott was broken.

"Come on," Harry said, closing his book and standing. "Let's get some dinner."

OOO

"Why don't you want me to say anything about Millicent?" Pansy whispered as they measured potions ingredients.

"I can't come home either," he whispered. "My parents are going on vacation to Romania. And I'm sure my twin brothers have said something to Potter and Nott about it by now. I'm a little tired of everything I try backfiring. If I say anything they'll mention that."

"Your parents are going on vacation?" Pansy sounded shocked, as if she doubted their ability to afford a trip. "And they're not taking you?"

"They're the only ones who can afford to go," he sighed, stirring the potion. "Which means I've got to stay here."

"Oh no you don't," Pansy murmured. "You can come and stay with me. I'll owl father and mother about it tonight, as soon as we get back."

'Are you sure you want to do that? The owls have been having trouble, what with the snow and cold and all. It might not be safe, might not get there."

"Don't worry about that," she reassured. "I'll use a school owl so I won't risk mine. It'll get there. Speaking of which, how's your owl?"

"Ganelon? He's alright," Ron shrugged. "Wish I had a use for him though."

"You will, soon enough. Once you get to know more of the right people. And over the summer." She peered into the cauldron. "That looks about right, doesn't it?"

"More or less." He popped the cork out of a flask. "Let's get a sample to Snape."

Pansy took the vial up to the front and gave it to Snape, who nodded. When the class was finally over, the bolted out of the door with the rest of the class, only to run into a massive fir tree in the hall with a familiar silver-haired head flanking it.

"It's absolutely beautiful, Hagrid," Draco's voice came from the other side of the tree. "Of course, I'm sad you had to cut it down, but isn't that pine scent wonderful?"

"Following Hagrid around, Draco?" Pansy laughed. "Hoping to get his job one day?"

Draco flushed and opened his mouth to respond when it suddenly snapped shut. Snape appeared at the top of the steps and Draco felt a chill, averting his eyes and clutching the branches of the tree until the teacher had passed. He ignored Pansy and waited at the base of the stairs until Harry and Theo made their way down, promising Hagrid that he would be in the Great Hall shortly to take up his invite to see it.

"Admirable restraint," Nott murmured when they reached the bottom. "You know he's just waiting to take points from us."

"It's not the points I'm worried about," Draco replied, wiping pine sap off on his robes. "It's the detention."

"Why? The cauldrons are clean already, thanks to me and Hermione," Nott smirked.

"It's… well… do you ever get the feeling Snape knows when you're lying?"

Nott rolled his eyes; but before he could make a comment about how Draco was exaggerating, Harry nodded. "Yeah, sometimes I feel that way too. Creepy."

"I'm worried that if he gets us alone, he'll ask us about stuff. I think he knows that we know something."

"What, about Fluffy?" Nott whispered.

"Yeah," Draco nodded.

"Well…" Nott bit his lip. "I think you might be exaggerating, but it is possible. I hadn't really thought about it but in light of Snape's recent actions… there's this certain type of magic, it's called legilimency. It deals with eye contact and I think a spell. And yes, it can let a person know if you're lying to them."

"So he could be reading our minds!" Draco was indignant.

"That's an over-simplification, but in a sense, yes – it's a distant possibility."

"Not so distant, I'm starting to think," Harry muttered. "Is there anyway to fight it?"

"Occlumency; closing your mind to the penetrating efforts of the legilimens," Nott replied promptly.

"How do you know all this anyway?" Draco glanced at him as they entered the hall.

"My father's library has quite a few books on a number of different subjects. It's how I knew about Flamel, too. And like I was telling Harry the other day, my childhood basically consisted of getting in trouble with you and progressively reading my way through everything in that library. I know quite a bit about a wide range of subjects; and not all of it is stuff I'd use."

Draco looked at him apprehensively. "And your dad let you do that?"

"I don't know if he believed me when I said I understood it. If he did, he probably thought it would help me out. Make me more suitable for certain… professions later in life."

"You think your dad's into dark magic?" Draco asked him nervously, afraid to think about his own parents.

Nott shrugged. "Who knows? Possibly? Probably? The library's old. Generations old. Maybe he has uses for those books; maybe he simply never got rid of them. I read them purely out of academic interest."

"Never to use? Not even curious?" Draco wondered.

"I'm a Gryffindor," Nott replied. "And I know better than that."

Hagrid waved them over and they began marveling at the trees which were sagging under the weight of all their decorations. Red, green, silver and gold were everywhere and Flitwick was swishing his wand around and adding to the spectacular display. Hermione joined them after a few moments, complimenting Hagrid on the job he'd done. He looked pleased but still regarded them with a measure of nervousness.

"You three aren' still on 'bout… yeh know."

"We know it's the stone," Nott whispered calmly. "At least that's the safest assumption. Fits the size of what Harry saw not to mention it's Flamel's biggest achievement. But it seems secure enough, for now."

"Dumbledore won' let anything happen," Hagrid asserted confidently.

"Of course not." He turned to his companions. "Shall we have a look around the rest of the hall?"

Hermione shook her head. "I have to get to the library. I want to get in a last bit of studying before I have to go come. You can't take books with you over break so this is my last chance to get to study before I have to go home."

Harry shook his head in disbelief as he went off in the other direction. "Mental."

"I should probably get going too," Draco sighed. "Packing." He leaned in and whispered. "I'll see you guys soon, right?"

"Yeah, we'll be on the look out for Tywyll and you."

"You have my robe, right?"

"It's in my trunk," Nott affirmed.

"Great. Then we're set. Two days after, and I'll owl you if anything changes." He meandered off towards the kitchens, leaving the two to go back to admiring the decorations.

OOO

"Can I help wrap the presents?" Ginny asked as her mother stuffed clothing into trunks.

"Of course dear."

"And can I stick in letters with them?"

"If you like, love. Are you all packed up to go to Luna's?"

"Yep! My bag is packed and waiting in my room," she smiled.

"Good. Oh! And while I'm thinking about it – could you cut up the fudge I made for the boys too."

"Sure mom."

Ginny walked into the kitchen and saw the fudge lying in slabs on the table. Once she chopped it up into pieces, she began boxing it up, making sure to give Ron a little less. She didn't want to think about him sharing it with other Slytherins and wondered if he would even eat it. She dropped the boxes into the package, stopping a moment to glance at the sweaters. Harry's was emerald green, Draco's was a bright yellow and Nott's was made of red yarn shot through with gold so that it sparkled.

She really hoped that they would be able to come over for the summer; Hogwarts letting out so that they could come by might even make up for Ron being home.

OOO

The moment they arrived at Kings Cross station, Sirius ran at Lucius and leaped up on him, licking and slobbering all over him, not out of any particular affection, but rather because he knew it annoyed the hell out of Lucius.

"Draco!" He shouted, trying to twist away from Dragon. "Restrain your beast!"

Draco ran up to them, laughing, and pulled Dragon away from his father before giving hugs to his mother and father each in turn.

"It's wonderful to have you back, Draco," Narcissa sniffed. "Come, let's get back to the Manor. Dobby is making cookies for you and we've got the place marvelously decorated."

"Can you tell me what you got me from Christmas?"

"Now, now, you don't want us to ruin the surprise, do you?" Narcissa smiled.

"I'll tell you what I got for you!"

"I think I'd rather be surprised myself," she winked.

When they got back to the mansion, the aforementioned cookies were waiting and Draco took a plate of them up to his room after he'd finished answering his parent's endless questions about how his term had gone. They had been worried about the Hufflepuff issue and Lucius had glared at him several times when he described the mishaps he'd gotten into with Harry and Theo, but didn't say anything more about it.

Once he was gone, Lucius sighed and sipped a mug of cider. "I must admit, I worry a little. He's… he's… carefree. Doesn't take things as seriously as I might wish. But he's quite young; he might settle a bit."

"He's our son," Narcissa murmured, her fingertips pressed against her temples. "And he's happy. That much is apparent. And that's good enough for me. I doubt he'll follow you… but then again, I never wanted him to. Too dangerous."

"Indeed. If things stay as they are, it might never be an issue. But if not…"

"If not, then he must stay out of the way." She rose and smoothed her robes. "We shouldn't worry. It's irrational. We've _had_ this conversation. He's been gone for ages, there's no reason that it would change right at this moment."

"Narcissa, it's Christmas. Let's not think about this." He put his mug down and slipped behind her, rubbing her shoulders. "Are his presents all wrapped?"

"Ready and waiting thanks to Dobby," she replied.

Upstairs, Draco devoured the cookies with Sirius then went outside to enjoy the fresh snowfall that coated the Manor grounds. He ran about until he found Tywyll then took a bareback ride with Sirius running alongside, panting. Draco laughed loud and clear, taking in the breeze, enjoying the feel of it against his face. He'd missed getting to ride, more than he'd realized.

Sirius, too, enjoyed the opportunity to be outside, running free rather than being cooped up inside Draco's room. He ran alongside Draco, bounded up and down across the snow drifts and took the opportunity to harass Lucius' peacocks that were kept in a warmed stall for the winter. Hours later, they stumbled into the house, cold but cheerful, reminding Sirius of the times they had gone out into the winter snow all the previous years he'd lived with them, all the holidays they'd spent together.

All in all it had been a good day.

OOO

"_But why did she say no, Mommy?" _

"_Because he wasn't acting like a gentleman." _

"_What's a gentleman?"_

"_A man who is honest and upright and honorable." A laugh. "Did you understand any of those words?"_

"_Yes! Maybe. Can I be a gentleman when I grow up?"_

"_I hope you will be." _

"_Well I will!" A pause. "Will she marry him in the end? The story isn't over, right? She finds out he's really nice and marries him, right? And her sister, she gets married too?"_

_Another laugh. "We'll just have to read and find out, won't we?"_

OOO

A/N: So a few things will have to wait until the next time. The next chapter will be presents and the mirror. Promise. I hope you enjoy and reviews are very dearly appreciated.


	31. Present Danger

OOO

Christmas morning, Theodore Nott awoke with the feeling that he'd had a very pleasant dream which he could not remember. He sat in his four-poster for a few moments, trying to recapture what it was about, but nothing came to him. In the bed next to him, Harry was already stirring and he shifted his head to give Nott a bleary look.

"It's Christmas, isn't it?"

"If I have not miscalculated the date, then indeed it is."

"A 'yeah' would have sufficed," Harry yawned. Swinging out of bed, he put on his glasses and looked at the end of the bed in surprise. "Hey. We have presents."

"So it would seem," Nott looked amused. "And some unexpected ones, I take it. Father never sends anything more than a book or money."

"Shall we, then?" Harry grinned at him.

"Indeed."

They set about tearing the paper off of the packages at the bases of their beds. The first one Nott opened revealed a bulky knit sweater that had a box of fudge with it. A letter fluttered out of the folds of the sweater and Nott scooped it up.

"It's from Ginny," he smiled at Harry. "She said she asked her mom to make us sweaters. Even me."

"That was nice of her."

"Yeah, it was," Theo said in a muffled voice as he pulled the jumper over his head. Opening the box, he popped a piece of fudge into his mouth. "Her fudge is really amazing too."

"Hey look!" Harry help up what looked at first like a stick. "Hagrid carved me a flute."

"Great," he laughed. "Next time we go visit Fluffy we can use that instead of risking my mum's Amati."

"Looks like I got a sweater too."

"Going to put it on?"

"Why not?" He opened up his own box of fudge and took out a piece. "And you're right, her fudge is amazing."

"Told you. And here's my father's gift…"

"Looks like it's just a card."

"That's about it. 'Behave yourself. Sincerely, Your Father.' Well isn't that all lovely and personal. And it even came with 10 galleons."

"Nice."

"I suppose," Nott shrugged, pocketing the money. "He wouldn't have sent it if he knew it was going to Muggle books, though."

"Is that all you ever spend your money on?" Harry asked through a mouth full of fudge.

"Is there anything else better to spend it on?"

"For you? Probably not." Harry tore open a note from the Dursleys. "And what do you know. I got the same gift from my Aunt and Uncle only a lot less."

"How much?"

"Just fifty pence." He tossed it to Theo to inspect and the other boy scoffed.

"Cheap."

"You're telling me."

"Looks like we got something from Hermione too. I got a gift certificate to Flourish and Blotts. What about you?"

"Chocolate Frogs," Harry grinned.

"She already knows us so well," Nott laughed. "Well, that's the end of my stack. Anything more in yours?"

"Yeah, actually. Feels really light… whoa!" He gasped as a cloak like Draco's, yet of obvious higher quality, slipped out. "My own invisibility cloak!"

"Are you serious? Who on earth could have sent it?" Nott looked on it, bewildered.

"Here, it came with a card. Says that whoever gave this to me got it from my dad and wants to return it to me. Tells me to 'use it well.'" He reached out and stroked the silvery fabric. "This belonged to my dad…"

"Did that person sign his or her name?"

"No. Just says it was my dad's and wishes me a merry Christmas."

"Interesting." Nott gazed at the robe as if trying to work something out.

Without warning, there was a noise at the door and the two turned to see the Weasley twins charging through the door. Harry nudged the cloak beneath the stack of presents for the moment; he didn't know exactly why but he had a sudden desire to keep the cloak private, between him and Nott, at least for a while.

"Hey guys," he grinned at the twins.

"Hey yourself and a merry Christmas," George cuffed him on the shoulder.

"Look, they both got sweaters too!" Fred pointed. "Nice than ours though," he said after examining Nott's sleeve. "Must be since you two aren't family; our mum feels obliged to put a little extra effort in."

"They don't have letters on theirs though," George noted.

"D'you really think the famous Harry Potter could ever forget his name?" Fred smirked.

"Suppose not. But neither do we!" George pointed to the 'G' on his sweater. "We know we're Gred and Forge."

"Oh honestly," Nott rolled his eyes. "I can't believe anyone could confuse the two of you."

"What? You don't?" Fred looked amused.

"Of course not." He answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "The pattern of your freckles is different. Anybody could tell you apart at a glance."

"If by anybody you mean 'you'" George chuckled. "It's been years and our mum still can't always get it right."

"Can't get what right?" Another red head poked through the door. "What are you two up to?"

"Oh, nothing much, Perce," Fred laughed. "Just hearing about how Nott knows more about us than our own mother."

"What?"

"Oh never mind," George groaned. "Come on, you have a sweater too. Why haven't you put it on?" He pointed towards the two first years. "Harry and Theo have."

"Look, I really don't think…"

Fred motioned to his twin and their grabbed Percy's sweater and forced him into it while Harry and Theo watched, laughing in spite of themselves. When the two were done, Percy's hair was mussed and his glasses were at an awkward angle.

"And yours has a 'P' – Percy the Perfect Prefect," Fred teased.

"You'll be sitting with us today, too," George informed him. "Christmas is a time for family, not for being a stuck up snob."

"On that note, it reminds me," Fred nodded towards Harry and Theo. "One of you is going to have to dye your hair red and pretend to be Ron. You know, just for consistency."

"Ron isn't here?" Percy looked confused.

"No! Can you believe that cheeky little bugger!" George's face looked sincerely annoyed. "Ran off on holiday with that Parkinson girl he's been hanging around with, without so much as a letter to home!"

"I hate to say it, but he's turning out worse than you," Fred sighed.

"But I'm a prefect!"

"Exactly my point. Now come on, let's get down before the professors get all of the good stuff."

The feast that was waiting for them was even better than the one Harry remembered from the beginning of the semester. Most of the kids had gone home, but there were still a few around. Since Millicent was one of the only Slytherins there and her house tended to avoid her anyway, Harry and Nott invited her to eat at their table. It attracted a few looks from the other students and from Snape, but in the excitement of Christmas nobody else seemed to mind.

They pulled open the wizard crackers, in which Harry won his own chess set, and watched at the teachers got progressively inebriated. Then once they'd eaten so much that they could hardly fit in another bite, they went out onto the grounds for a snowball fight.

The twins and Percy faced off against Harry, Theo and Millicent; Fred declared that having Percy on one side and Nott on the other made it a fair two on two match, only to get a face full of snow from Nott and a disapproving look from Percy. Eventually they started using enchantment, making the snowballs fly everywhere.

Nott was building up a fort for cover while the other two were pitching snowballs when another clump of snow hit Harry in the face. He fell backwards into the snow, but after a moment he didn't get up.

"Harry?" Nott twisted around to see if he simply had the wind knocked out of him. "Harry are you… HARRY!"

His body was almost completely still but his fingers were twitching and his face had gone deathly pale. Nott leaned over and caught a scent of something, a flowery, pleasing aroma that nevertheless made his stomach clench.

"STOP!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "Something's wrong with Harry, we need to get him to the hospital wing!"

The Weasley twins paused hesitantly, wondering if it was a trick. Percy, however, ran over immediately, quickening his pace when Millicent started screaming too.

"I don't he's breathing!" She shouted in a hysterical voice, trying to prop Harry up. The remains of the snowball dribbled down his face and Nott swatted her hand away from it.

"Don't touch it," he muttered. "You don't want to risk ingesting it yourself."

"Here," she unwrapped a green and silver scarf with the Slytherin seal from around her neck. Using it she wiped off and soaked up the remains of the snow. "It didn't touch my skin."

"Bring it along. Just to be sure," Nott panted as Fred scooped Harry's body up and they all started running towards the castle. "I think I know what it was but that will help."

When they finally reached the hospital wing, Nott whispered in low tones to Madame Pomfrey and gave her the scarf. She took it and nodded before drawing the curtain around Harry's bed and motioning for the rest of them to wait outside.

"What happened?" Millicent's eyes were red and Percy's arm was wrapped awkwardly around her, as if he were trying to comfort her but wasn't sure he wanted to.

"The snowball," Nott shook his head. "It had more than snow in it. Somehow, somebody mixed a poison in with the snow and chucked it at Harry's face, probably figuring that his mouth would be open and it would drizzle in."

"We didn't do this!" George suddenly broke in. "We like a good prank as much as the next person, maybe even a little more, but we wouldn't poison Harry, honest!"

"Nobody's suggesting that you did. Besides, the poison that was given to Harry was something most likely beyond your talents. Even the knowledge of it is Dark."

The group fell silent.

"You don't think…" Millicent began.

"I don't know what to think," Nott cut her off. "But it would be best to avoid speculation, if for no other reason than to avoid reprisal."

She nodded mutely, hugging her arms to her body. "I just can't believe… I mean, it's _Christmas_ of all things."

A curious look crossed Fred's face. "If knowledge of the poison is so Dark, how did you know about it Nott?"

"You're not suggesting…"

"I just wanted to know!"

He hesitated, pressing his eyes tightly shut for a moment. He opened them and fixed a stony gaze on Fred. "My father's books made reference to it. I recognized the scent from the description. But just because I recognized it doesn't mean I would ever consider _brewing_ it, let alone using it!" His voice grew louder and defensive.

"Easy, easy. Nobody thinks you were." George patted Nott on the back. "You're Harry's friend as much as we are."

The five of them fell silent after that, until Millicent cleared her throat. "I guess we should go back to the dorms," she whispered. "Madame Pomfrey probably won't let us see him for a while."

"Guess not," George agreed.

"You can come back to Gryffindor Tower with us if you feel like," Nott offered, suspecting she didn't want to be alone after what happened.

"I'd like that."

The five of them went back there and sat around the fire, trying to distract themselves by roasting snacks and playing chess and exploding snap. Fred and George made a half-hearted attempt to hide Percy's badge from him, but in the end the atmosphere of the day had been ruined by what had happened to Harry.

"I hope he'll be ok," Millicent sighed as she finally left the tower to go and sleep in her own bed.

"I'm sure he'll be up and about by tomorrow," Nott reassured her, hoping it wouldn't affect their plans to visit Grimmauld Place.

Once she had left and the portrait had swung shut, Nott retreated to his dormitory. At the foot of Harry's bed he noticed the cloak peeking out and he pulled it out from under the pile. Another invisibility cloak, another opportunity for exploration and trouble-making. That was quite a gift; and it would be nice not to have to worry about shuttling Draco's back and forth between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor dorms.

Suddenly tempted, he draped the cloak about himself. He felt guilty for using Harry's present, especially such a personal one, when Harry hadn't even gotten the opportunity to try it out first, though. He allowed the cloak to slide off of his figure and looked at it before opening up his trunk and taking out Draco's.

Now that the school was mostly empty, he had the urge to explore; the restricted section of the library suddenly seemed tempting. It probably had books his father didn't own, books he might not be able to find or afford otherwise. If he didn't take this opportunity, he might never get to without a teacher's signature. After all, a trip to the library was hardly an adventure Harry or Draco would want to take part in and when everybody was back in school it was much riskier to be out and about.

Leaving Harry's cloak behind, he pulled on Draco's and headed out of the door.

OOO

Draco spent Christmas Eve out on the lawn with his father doing the same things they had done for dozens of past winter's days. Even though he was eleven he still considered himself young enough to enjoy a good push on a sled from his father and Lucius was willing to do so, this year in particular since he hadn't seen Draco in so long.

Sirius had joined them at first; however, in the course of running after Draco he'd run into a rock and bruised his paw. It wasn't anything major, but Draco insisted that he stay inside and rest it so that he didn't make it worse. Better to miss out on the remainder of Christmas Eve than aggravate the injury and have to sit out Christmas Day, he argued.

Thus it was that Sirius found himself inside with only Narcissa and the house elves for company. As he licked his paw, he observed her going in and out of the rooms, hanging more tinsel and going into the kitchens to make sure everything would be ready for that night and the morrow. The smell of all the cakes and cookies proved to be irresistible, so Sirius padded into the kitchen to see if he could beg a snack.

Narcissa was at the wooden table, slumped over, with her head in her hands. Looking at her, tired and agitated, Sirius felt a stab of pity; no matter what her viewpoints, she was his cousin, after all, and had never been as terrible as Bellatrix. He walked up to her and pawed her in a friendly gesture. Lifting her head up, she saw Dragon and rubbed his head.

"Sorry you had to miss out on all the fun in the snow, boy," she scratched behind his ears. "I'm sure Draco misses you too. But you'll be better by tomorrow." She stood and sighed. "Meanwhile, I have to worry whether everything is falling apart."

She opened the over to check on the roast that was inside, still talking, half to Dragon and half to herself.

"Bad enough that Dumbledore's still there, old fool that he is," she muttered, "but now there are all these rumors too. Not that there haven't always been rumors, but now that he's not at home it makes them seem more dangerous. And Harry Potter," she snorted. "I don't know whether to be relieved or worried that they're friends." She paused as she stirred a sauce. "He never did mention what Houses Harry and Nott were sorted into. Knowing their families, I'd guess Gryffindor and Slytherin. But is that going to keep him safe or put him at risk?" She glanced at Sirius and, guessing what he'd come in for, slipped him one of the sugar cookies cooling on the counter. "I shouldn't be doing that but it is Christmas."

Kneeling down she petted his back as he ate the cookie. "You're lucky Dragon. It doesn't make a difference to you if anybody comes back or if they stay dead, you don't have to worry if your child's happiness is putting him in danger." She sighed. "Lucius says I worry too much. But what else can a mother do?" Standing, she made herself a cup of tea while Sirius watched. "It was the same the last time. I was the one staying at home, frightened out of my wits, while Lucius went out to try and ensure our success.

"And now… now it might happen all over again." She sipped her tea before setting it down. "But at least he has you," she said, running her hands over his fur and leaning in. Sirius' heart rate sped up, worried that she might suspect something. "Look after him, OK? I know it isn't much, you're only a dog, but protect him if he needs it." She straightened up and laughed. "Look at me, talking to a dog. You can't even understand me."

She left for another part of the house as Sirius suppressed his desire to bark at her, as much reassurance as he could give. Though they had very differing priorities, they both cared about Draco and that was some common ground for comfort. He couldn't risk exposing himself, however; if she suspected he was more than a dog, he would be at risk, so he stayed silent.

The next morning, Draco opened up his first present and found a trick saddle. He ran outside, calling Dragon to come with him, and found Tywyll to try it out. As they dashed up the hill, Sirius wheeled around for a last glance, and saw Narcissa peering out of the curtains at them, a pensive look on her face.

Something she'd heard or suspected had her deeply frightened, more so than at any time during his stay at the Malfoy household. Coupled with Theodore's suspicion about the Philosopher's Stone and Sirius felt it boded very ill.

She needn't have asked him to look after Draco, he thought as he trotted beside Tywyll and watched Draco haltingly stand up in the saddle. He stood on Tywylls back for a few steps before tumbling off into the snow. Rolling around in the powder Draco laughed and Sirius came over, licking his face. No, she didn't have to request anything of him to ensure Draco's safety.

He would do anything to protect Draco, the same that he would for Harry.

OOO

A/N: So next time will be Nott, Harry and the mirror, along with how Ron's spending his holiday. And possibly Grimmauld, but no promises. Until the next time, I hope you enjoyed and as always I appreciate reviews.


	32. Mirror, Mirror

OOO

Nott dashed out of the library as quickly and as silently as he could, berating himself all the while for making such an error. He hadn't expected the book to scream like it had, but given the appellate of "Restricted Section" he felt he should have been more careful. After all, where else would books like that be kept?

His blood ran cold when he overheard Filch and Snape and all he could hope for was that they didn't hear him and that the cloak did its job. Out of breath he ducked into a classroom that he assumed at first to be empty. Pausing to catch his breath, he noticed that it held a mirror. Slowly walking over, he first noticed an inscription at the top.

"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi," he whispered aloud, frowning. He didn't recognize it as being from any language that he was familiar with and he could recognize, if not translate, most European tongues. Taking out a quill he kept in his pocket, he scribbled the words down on the palm of his hand since he had no paper with him.

Then he looked up into the mirror.

His breath hitched and his eyes clouded over; then he ran, faster than he had from Filch and Snape, faster than he'd ever run, until he was back in his bed in Gryffindor Tower.

He awoke next morning to find his sheets stained with black ink. His palms had been clenched and he'd been sweating so badly that the ink had run, making the writing almost illegible. After taking once quick glance at the words, he glowered then went to go scrub the words off before visiting Harry in the hospital wing.

Though they were gone, the words kept running through his head. But when the puzzle clicked, halfway down to Madame Pomfrey's infirmary, the thrill of solving the puzzle brought him no joy. Instead, he scoffed bitterly and tried to put the mirror and its images out of his mind.

OOO

Pansy's home did not begin to approach the size or splendor of the much older Malfoy Manor or even the ancestral Nott home. However, it was still one of the largest homes that Ron had even seen. Being invited to enter into it as a guest made him red up to the tips of his ears and he entered the house nervously, terrified of messing anything up or embarrassing himself.

The Parkinson family lived in a tall Georgian house hidden, like so many wizarding houses to be found in cities, in the midst of the Royal Crescent in Bath. The decorating inside was simple but elegant, without much decoration or ornament, and Pansy's mother and father seemed to fit in perfectly with their surroundings. They were neat, orderly people who ran a quiet, regulated life, the furthest thing Ron could imagine from the chaos of the Burrow.

Pansy first introduced them when they reached King's Cross. Mr. Parkinson shook Ron's hand with a firm grip and her mother gave him a polite nod. Ron, remembering what Pansy had told him about her father, took his hand as firmly as he could in return, hoping to make a good impression. Before they'd gotten off of the Hogwarts Express Pansy had warned him to be polite; faced with such quietly imposing strangers to whom he felt he owed so much, Ron didn't think he could be anything but well-mannered.

During his stay Pansy took him around to the wizarding shops in Bath and they paid a visit to wizarding London as well. She bought him clothing, although he was reluctant to ask for anything, and bought much more for herself. He stared in disbelief at the pile of shoes, blouses, jumpers, skirts, jeans and other assorted clothing she amassed one day; he was fairly certain that the total could have kept his family in new clothes for a year or two.

Both of her parents worked at the ministry so they were alone much of the day. Her father had looked at him with a warning in his eye until her mother pointed out that they were only eleven and that they did have one house elf to make sure that they didn't get into trouble. Pansy often spent those hours teaching him how to behave in proper society. He learned about sailing and polo, even took a few rides on the thoroughly normal, if well-bred, horses that they Parkinsons paid to board nearby. Pansy confided in him that Draco rode too, or so the rumor went, but that he rode those horrible thestral things she'd heard about. Ron shuddered but he wasn't surprised; it sounded like something Draco would do.

Often she would pull out her family's silver tea service and teach Ron how to sip like a gentleman and act polite in good company. Other times she would even have the elf serve them dinner so that she could point out which spoons, forks, glasses and knives were the proper ones to use. One day, towards the middle of the week, she even took him up to a large empty room on the third floor that was walled entirely with mirrors.

"What're going to do here?" Ron looked around nervously.

"Dancing," Pansy smiled. "It's another excellent pastime to learn for those who wish to travel in the right circles."

He stared at her, his face growing red. He hadn't seen much of dancing, and what he had seen of Charlie and Bill when they tossed an impromptu party for their friends once when their parents were away didn't seem very refined. It was more like a lot of dubious looking rubbing, hand waving and gyrating.

"W-what do you mean?" He looked around at his numerous reflections. "You mean like that the backups for the Weird Sisters do?"

Pansy made a face. "No, not like _that_. That's what teens do with friends. That's not what _refined_ people do at society functions. I mean ballroom dancing. But we can't do it in these robes."

Rather than question why they needed different apparel, Ron simply followed her into a nearby room where there were gowns on the left and dress robes on the right in a wide range of sizes.

"Pick out something you like," she direction. "And then go into the little stall on the left to get changed. I'll meet you out here when we're done."

He reached for the nearest thing he saw, intending to take it before Pansy reached over with a sigh.

"No, no. Not maroon. That will clash dreadfully with your hair. Take this green one." She handed it to him with a smile. "It's much more Slytherin anyway."

Clutching it to his chest, he dashed to the end of the corridor where the changing stalls were and put the robes on. When he came out, having had difficulty figuring out what went where but managing in the end, he saw that Pansy was already dressed and waiting in the room. She was wearing a floor-length gown, also green, that was fitted up top but was bell-shaped below.

"And now," she smiled, walking up to one of the mirrors, "for some music." She clapped her hands in front of it.

"Yes?" The enchanted mirror responded in a sonorous voice.

"The Blue Danube," she replied, and then turned to Ron. "It's a waltz."

"But I don't know how…"

"That's what I'm here for, silly. Besides, the floor is enchanted to be in instructional mode. Look down." There were black and white footsteps appearing on the floor, directing where they were supposed to place their feet. "Now a waltz is fairly simple, it's in three-four time. Look. One, two, three. One, two, three. Here, hold this hand then wrap the other around my waist. That's it. One, two, three. Good!"

They spent hours at it, learning so many different kinds of dancing that Ron was sure he would forget them all. They went back the next day and the day after that, until finally her parents' Christmas break began and they spent more time with them, as they got to know Ron and Ron got exposed to what their life was like.

A few days later, on Christmas, Ron gave Pansy a bottle of perfume he'd managed to scrounge for by sneaking back and returning some of the clothes she'd bought him. It was her money that paid for the gift, really, but he'd had no other option and would have been embarrassed to give her nothing. Regardless of where he'd gotten it from, she smiled and thanked him before handing him his own present.

He nearly fainted when he found a Nimbus 2000 beneath the wrapping.

"I thought that Harry wasn't the only one who should have one of those," she replied jauntily. "Besides, you need to start practicing now if you want to be in Quidditch shape for next year."

Ron blushed and thanked her profusely before she went off to help her mother with a bit of Christmas baking; the elf could have done it all but she claimed that she like to decorate cookies and cakes. While she left, Ron quickly jammed another package beneath his robes and then ran upstairs to hide it in his trunk, grateful that nobody had noticed it.

He wasn't quite sure how his mother knew to send his Christmas package there, but he wasn't about to open up her embarrassingly homemade fare in front of the Parkinsons, that was for sure.

OOO

"So what have you been up to?" Harry was sitting up when Nott walked through the door.

"Nothing," he answered abruptly. "Are you feeling better?"

"Loads," Harry grinned. "Madame Pomfrey says I can leave today. I don't think she wants me to, but I hate being cooped up in here, especially when it's break."

"What? No classes to miss as an incentive to remain bedridden?" Nott smirked.

"Exactly."

"Well, if you're going to leave, you'd best come on then. I think the twins and Millicent are quite eager to see you up and about again. We were all reassured that you would make a full recovery but seeing is believing. Besides, since you're feeling so much better, we have to pack." He lowered his voice to say this last.

"Oh yeah. That's right." He threw the covers off from around him. "Mind pulling the curtain shut so I can have a little privacy?"

"Not at all."

He emerged quickly, dressed in the sweater Mrs. Weasley had sent him, and they went off to the common room where they found Fred and George. After waiting outside the Slytherin dorms until Millicent appeared, the five of them went down to the lake. None of them had any proper skates, but they still managed to have a fun time slipping and sliding around on the ice in their shoes. They built a fort and a few snow men besides before heading inside for cider.

None of them had said anything about it to the others; but a silent agreement had been reached and not a single snowball was thrown. Once they were back in the common room, Nott told Fred and George what they were going to do the next day.

"If Millie wonders where we are, just tell her that we caught slight colds, nothing serious, and that we're resting up in the Tower. Think you can do that for us?"

"You can count on us," George assured him.

"Excellent."

They managed to pack what they thought they would need in a sack of Nott's and set it at the foot of the bed in waiting for the next day. Nott went to sleep, hoping to be well rested for the next day's journey. However, he found himself being shaken awake in the middle of the night by a breathless, red-faced Harry.

"You'll never believe what I just found!"

"What?" Nott rubbed his eyes and upon opening them again realized that only Harry's face was visible; he was apparently wearing his invisibility cloak and had only throw off the hood.

"The most amazing mirror!" He panted for breath. "I thought I'd take my dad's cloak and I went out exploring and I saw this mirror in one of the old rooms and when I looked in I saw my family! It was so amazing! Do you want me to take you to see it?"

"I already have," Nott snapped and rolled over. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to sleep."

"What?" Harry looked at him, crestfallen at the surprise being ruined. "You knew about it already? Why didn't you tell me? I would have liked to have seen it you know. I mean, it's my _family_. Why wouldn't you tell me? Did you see them too? Or something else? And what if I hadn't stumbled upon it? I would never have know, never have seen them!" He sounded hurt.

"I didn't see them. It doesn't work that way. Different people see different things. And I don't think it's very healthy for you to be looking in that mirror, Harry."

"What? Why not? Come on, you have to admit – it's cool!" He was beginning to sound excited again. "So if you found it too, what did you see?"

"Don't you think that's a rather personal question?" Nott sat up suddenly and snapped, red blotches of anger appearing on his cheeks. "I don't think it's cool; I think it's dangerous and I think you should stay far, far away from it."

"Won't you even explain why?" He was annoyed. "I don't see what's so bad about it; I liked it."

"That's exactly the problem," Nott relied, giving an exasperated sigh. "Didn't you read the inscription?"

"You mean all that stuff about Erised? I guess. Didn't make any sense."

"You have to read it backwards. It says "I show not your face but your heart's desire.""

"Doesn't sound so bad to me," Harry cast him a defiant glance. "So what if I want to be with my family? Why can't I look at that?"

Theo sighed again. "Harry, have you ever heard the myth of Narcissus?"

"You mean Draco's mom?"

"No! That's Narciss_a_ – a female version of the name. But that's immaterial. Look, there's this myth, a story, about a beautiful man named Narcissus. He was never supposed to look in a mirror; it was prophesized that if he did it would mean his death. One day, however, he saw his reflection in the water. He was so mesmerized by it that he stared and stared at it, and never moved, until he finally died and was turned into a flower. He was so in love with his own reflection that everything else fell away."

"Umm… sounds creepy. But what does that have to do with me wanting to see my family?"

"That's the point. Although we see what we want in that mirror, _it's not real_." He looked away for a moment. "No matter how much we want it to be. And if we become absorbed with what's reflected in its surface we forget to live – just like Narcissus did." He reached out and took Harry's hand. "I know you want to be with your family again; and seeing them around you must be a comfort. But you cannot keep going back to it.

"What would you intend to do? Stay in front of it all day? Pretend they were alive until you weren't aware that they aren't? Even now I can see it in your eyes; you're hungry for the comfort that mirror gives. But it's a false comfort, empty and hollow. It's only a surface Harry. It cannot bring them back. It cannot give you lasting comfort.

"But if you're not careful it can grip you until you see nothing else, nothing of reality."

They fell silent and Harry removed the cloak and looked at it, pondering Nott's words. "Are you sure?" He sounded heartbroken and reluctant; Nott was usually a good source of advice, but he dearly wanted to see the mirror again.

"At least put it out of your mind until we come back from our visit with Draco," Nott whispered by way of a compromise. "Can you manage that?"

Harry nodded before folding the cloak and putting it at the foot of the bed, then sliding beneath the covers. "Yeah, I guess. But Nott? Come on. I'm your best friend – well, other than Draco maybe. You can trust me. What did you see?"

"I… well. A library," he replied flatly. "A library with every book ever written in it. Didn't want to say anything; thought you think it was bookish and swotty."

"Oh come on Nott," Harry chuckled as he mashed his pillow to make it more comfortable. "We already think that anyway."

He fell asleep soon after and it didn't even occur to him until the next morning that maybe, just maybe, Nott had been lying about what he saw. But, Harry reflected, if he wanted his privacy about it that badly, he should probably respect that. Theo was right; it was a rather personal question and if he didn't want to tell Harry, Harry felt he didn't have a right to pry any further.

OOO

Draco clutched the cloak he was wearing around him tightly against the cold, wishing it was a little bit warmer and hoping he couldn't be seen; since he'd given Nott and Harry his cloak, all he had was an old one brought back long ago from Sirius' home and hidden in his room. It was serviceable but only barely as the charm was beginning to wear off and he sometimes looked like a vague smoky shape instead of being completely invisible.

Peering through the trees as he waited just inside the edge of the woods, he eventually heard the sounds of crunching snow coming towards him. Soon after Harry and Nott threw off the cloaks and Draco's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"_Two_ cloaks? Where'd you get the second?"

"Christmas present," Harry grinned, pleased at having surprised him. "We'll tell you about it when we get there."

"Well alright then," Draco smiled. "Let's mount and then get those cloaks back on."

Harry nodded as Draco climbed on Tywyll's back first. Harry followed and he then helped Nott up, who clutched to Harry tightly. No matter how many times he rode, he thought, it would still make him nervous. Tywyll snorted and pawed the ground before trotting out of the forest, running along the tree line then taking off with an almost silent flap of his bat-like wings.

Beneath them, the countryside rolled past. However, they were looking forward in anticipation, waiting to see the lights and smog that signified London, eager to be with Sirius again in the secret dwelling that had done so much to define their childhoods. Poisons and mirrors were forgotten, left behind as they flew through the cold, clean winter air filled with anticipation rather than apprehension.

OOO

A/N: Ok, so I didn't quite manage to get to Grimmauld Place. But we'll get there the next time. Plus a glimpse or two of what the bad guys are up to if all goes well. And as for what Nott saw in the mirror… well maybe you'll find out eventually. ;) But for now, I'm afraid, what it was exactly will remain a bit of a mystery. Although (to leave a small and possibly misunderstandable hint) it's not entirely dissimilar to the nature of Ron's vision in the canon books, at least in one significant way - a way that will impact Nott in the future quite a bit.

And with that I shall be you a fond farewell, politely request that you review and express my wish to see you next chapter.


	33. Parallel Lives

OOO

"Boys!" Sirius left the tree he was decorating to give the boys who had just tumbled through the fireplace hugs. "How was your trip?"

"Fine, fine," Draco grinned. "Left Tywyll at the house, Flooed here – went off without a hitch."

"My idea, by the way," Theo interjected. "Draco would have had us landing Tywyll in the middle of the road and leaving him who knows where."

"The roof is open!" Draco defended.

"Good, good," Sirius laughed. "I'm just glad you're here. And is that…" his voice grew hushed when he noticed what Harry had taken off and was holding in his arms. "It's James', isn't it? "

Harry held up the cloak and blushed. "Yeah. Got it for Christmas. That's what the note said – that it was my dad's and I should have it back. Don't know who gave it to me though."

Reaching over Sirius picked up the cloak and stroked the folds of fabric. "I remember this cloak. It's held up remarkably well over the years. The times we used to have under this, running through the halls in the middle of the night, getting into trouble…" His eyes misted over as he momentarily lost himself in memories.

"Sirius?" Draco interrupt and the man looked up.

"Sorry. I was just thinking back. So," he grinned and handed the cloak back to Harry. "Who wants hot chocolate?"

"Sounds great." Harry tossed the cloak over a chair. "I'll get out the mugs."

"The place looks a lot cleaner," Nott commented. "Haven't been here for a long while, but it looks good."

"Why thank you." Sirius went back to stringing up tinsel.

"You did it all yourself then?" Draco glanced over cautiously.

"Yes," Sirius looked at him and sighed, letting his hands drop to his side before walking over and putting them on Draco's shoulders. "I'm sorry but you know I can't let him do much. He gets into things, I had to order him not to leave the room or the house – he's a risk Draco. Surely you understand that."

"I just… I just don't like it!" Draco sighed. "I mean, he's a living creature. Spiteful… but living! And it's Christmas," he looked mildly reproachful. There was a banging overhead and Draco looked upward then back at Sirius. "Please?"

"Fine," Sirius sighed. "But don't say I didn't warn you. And make sure he doesn't tear anything apart or open mother's portrait or get out of the house…"

"I know, I know!" Draco sighed. "I know. Nothing that could put us in danger. This is a big risk as it is. I know."

"Good." He looked towards the kitchen. "I'll start warming up the milk, then."

Draco grabbed a few cookies from a plate on a nearby table and began scaling steps. Nott went into the kitchen where Harry was getting mugs out of a cupboard and reached up for on himself. Sirius was pouring milk into a pot on the stove and using a wand to make it stir to keep it from scorching. While Harry got the marshmallows, Nott turned to Sirius.

"Sirius?"

"Yes, Theodore?"

"I was wondering… have you ever heard of… or learned… do you know anything about occlumency and legilimency?

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "I know what they are but that's about it. Why?"

"I think… well, maybe… I think Snape might be using legilimency against us."

"Wouldn't put it past him."

"Then… well… I mean…" He hedged, nervous about voicing his request.

Sirius stopped stirring for a moment and looked over at him. "You want to learn how to resist it?"

"In a word – yes." Theodore focused his attention on the floor. "I know what you're going to say – but I'm a _really_ good student, I promise, and I'll follow whatever you tell me to do."

"It's a moot point," Sirius shrugged. "I don't know anything about it. Wouldn't know the first thing about how to teach it."

"Well if I get a few books from my father's library, will you help us?"

"I'm not so sure about this Theo. It seems like a pretty sketchy business – especially if it's something Snape's wrapped up in."

"_Please?_ Besides, do you want us to be defenseless against him?"

"I suppose not…"

"Then this is the only way to close our minds to him!"

Sirius sighed. "Let's thing about it later. I'll consider it."

Nott nodded; he hadn't expected much better – any adult he know other than Sirius probably would have refused him outright.

Dipping a fingertip into the milk, Sirius nodded. "I think it's warm enough. Bring me the mugs and I'll mix in the powder."

He divvied the milk up between the mugs and stirred the chocolate mix in, while Harry dropped a few marshmallows into each mug. Draco came down from the upstairs, a sulking Kreacher in tow, who was nevertheless munching the cookies Draco brought (only, as Kreacher put it, "because he is Mistress Black's son"), and soon they were all situated in front of the fireplace.

Once he'd downed his mug, Nott sat down in front of a dusty pianoforte that had been moldering beneath a sheet in the corner of the room and with a few waves of Sirius wand to put it in tune, he began playing a few carols. They all joined in, Sirius more enthusiastically than any of them, glad for the opportunity to spend a few hours in his normal form. Even Kreacher made a poorly pitched attempted, after some wheedling by Draco. After a few songs, they even grew ambitious enough to try a few harmonies.

It wasn't long, however, before the pile of presents beneath the tree called out to them and they abandoned the piano in favor of opening gifts and moving on to other Christmas games.

OOO

Eventually, Ron clandestinely opened his presents from his family, not so much because he wanted them but rather because any wrapped package, no matter how predictable the contents, incited his curiosity. When he looked inside he saw a sweater, made with yarn that was precisely the color that Pansy had told him clashed with his hair the other day. Stuffing the maroon monstrosity into the bottom of his trunk, he opened the other small box that had come with it.

Fudge. Like always. He nearly sighed; at least it would probably taste good. He was considering eating a piece, maybe even offering some to Pansy, when she burst into the room.

"Ron!" She grinned.

"Yes?" He dropped the box into his trunk and nearly slammed the lit shut.

"I've got a surprise for you." She motioned him to come with her and he followed her down the steps.

"Another one?"

"Father just brought it back, fresh; it's my favorite sweet and so he usually gets me it for the holidays."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Turkish Delight – don't expect you'll have had it before. It's really good though. Look!" She brought him into their dining room and pointed to a plate on the table, stacked with cubes that were dusted with powdered sugar. "Try one!"

He picked up one of the cubes gingerly and bit off a piece; his face lit up as a chewed and Pansy looked pleased.

"It's really good!"

"Knew you'd like it," she replied airily. "Have as much as you want – my treat. I'm sure it's better than anything you've ever gotten at home." She picked up another piece. "I think the pistachio is my faviorite."

"Mmmm." He swallowed. "I favor the mint myself."

"Like I said – I knew you would."

He nodded, his mother's fudge forgotten as he gobbled up the more exotic confection. Between them, the devoured the entire plate, with Ron eating the lion's share. Pansy didn't seem to mind, however; she seemed to enjoy the fact that he enjoyed it. Once the plate had nothing on it but sticky remnants, she turned towards him with a smile.

"So, what do you want to do today?"

"Anything you want," he shrugged, not wanting to seem demanding.

"You are the guest; so it's your choice. I _could_ make some suggestions though – if you'd like," she added hastily.

"Sure," he replied, sounding relieved that she was prepared to offer advice and direction.

"I would love to go ice skating!"

"That sounds good to me. Except I… well, you know." He blushed. "I don't have any skates."

"Haven't you learned by now that you shouldn't worry about things like that?" Pansy shook her head and laughed. "Silly. Come on, let's go; maybe we can get you a nice pair in green leather."

Step by step, she thought to herself. Step by step.

Because as her mother always said, if a good man was too hard to find, then you should work with what you've got and make one yourself. Slytherin needed leadership, more than those duffers Crabbe and Goyle or that self-absorbed Blaise could provide. He was shabby now, of course, but given the amount of time he'd made remarkable progress.

Ronald Weasley might, she thought, turn out OK after all – and then wouldn't they have the last laugh on Malfoy and Potter and that entire rotten bunch.

OOO

"Look," Ginny grinned. "There's one more for each of us." She grabbed the two colorfully wrapped packages out from beneath the tree's far corner and read the labels. "They're from Draco!"

Luna reached out and caught the one that Ginny tossed towards her. "It's good that you retrieved them from the tree before the nargles got to them."

"I know, I know," she smiled as they tore off the paper. "So, what'd you get?"

"A book," Luna replied, looking down at the volume in her hands. "I'm pretty sure it's a Muggle one. Something called _Watership Down_." She showed Ginny the cover.

"Well what do you know; it's about animals. That's Draco for you."

"What did he get you?"

"I'm about to find out," she grinned as she lifted the lid off a long box. When she looked down inside, her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped.

"It's.. It's.."

"Looks like a broomstick to me," Luna said as if it were nothing exceptional.

"Yeah," Ginny replied weakly. "It is."

"Suppose you won't have to borrow your brothers' now."

"Borrow theirs? I'm going to have to keep them from borrowing _mine_! This is a Nimbus 2000 – just like the one Harry has!"

"Is that good?"

"Good?!" She looked at Luna in disbelief. "It's… yeah. It's good," she smiled, looking at Luna who had already cracked open her book. "You want to try it out later?"

"Maybe." She turned a page then looked over. "To be honest, flying on brooms seems a bit odd to me."

Ginny laughed. "I suppose you prefer winged horses like the thestrals?"

"Quite."

"I wouldn't mind doing that from time to time." Ginny ran her hands over the handle of her new broom and examined its bristles. "But you can't play Quidditch on horseback."

"And you can't feed a broomstick raw pig livers."

Taking a piece of fudge from the box her mother had given her and offering some to Luna, Ginny smiled. "No, I suppose you can't. All the same – I'm glad he got me this. I couldn't have gotten a better present."

OOO

"So what'd you get from Hermione?" Theo took another sip of his fourth mug of hot chocolate.

"Just what I'd expect to get from a friend who's clever like her," Draco reclined back into the chair near the fireplace. "A book on exotic birds and a bunch of sweets."

"Same here," Harry told him. "What kind you get?"

"A few chocolate frogs. Got a couple Dumbledores, two members of the Weird Sisters, a few more of Cliodna – not that I need any more, I have half a million of her already – and a Ptolemy."

"Nice. I got some of those too. Got a few Dumbledores myself along with a Morgana, Circe, Paracelcus, and a bunch of others that I can't remember. She sent a whole box and I ate so many of them I nearly got sick."

"Looks like Christmas didn't turn out too bad for you regardless," he pointed towards the cloak.

"Yeah, it's nice to have one of my own. And because, well, you know…"

"It was your father's?"

Harry nodded. "My parents died when I was so young that they seem distant sometimes, even unreal. It's nice to have something of his to hold on to." He glanced over at Nott. "Of course that wasn't the only thing that happened… can I tell him?"

Nott sighed. "You might as well. You've already hinted. And while you're at it, fill him in on the goings on with the snowball too."

"Oh yeah! I ended up in the hospital," he informed Draco with a grin.

"It isn't funny! That poison is exceedingly toxic; you're lucky you didn't die."

"You nearly died?" Draco looked enthralled. "You've gotta tell me about it. And what else happened?"

"Well, I almost got poisoned in the middle of a snowball fight but Nott recognized the poison and basically saved me but now we think Snape's the one who did it because only he could brew the potion!" Harry filled him in breathlessly. "And then I went out at night using the cloak and found this weird old mirror in an abandoned classroom and saw my parents in it. Nott found it too before I did and saw a library and there was this inscription on the top that Nott says means that the mirror shows us our hearts desire. But then he told me to stay away from it because he thought I'd be spending too much time in front of it."

"Do you remember where it is? Can you show me? I want to see my hearts desire. And Nott? A library? That's kinda… well… swotty. I mean, wouldn't you want to see your mum too?"

"He said we'd say that," Harry went on before Nott could reply. "That the library thing was swotty. You know how much Nott likes books, though. But yeah, I finally got to see my parents again. And the cloak was amazing – I need to remember to be quiet under it but it works like a charm. Better than, even."

"But the potion? You think Snape did it?"

"It would require a consummate amount of skill," Theodore finally spoke, glad they had moved away from the subject of the mirror. "As well as skill to brew it. Plus motive against Harry. I can't imagine who else in the castle would fit the bill."

"There's always Peter," Draco pointed out.

"An escaped wizard in the middle of the forest with no access to equipment or materials and who probably can't even resume his human shape again due to risk? I hardly think so. Do be sensible," Theo admonished.

"I'm just saying!" Draco threw his hands up. "So did you get anything else for Christmas?"

"Yeah! Mrs. Weasley sent us all sweaters – even Nott got one made of red and gold fabric, for Gryffindor."

"She sent me one too – didn't open it in front of my parents, was afraid dad would freak if he knew I was getting clothing from 'those ridiculous Weasleys' as he calls them. I thought it was pretty cool though; it's yellow for Hufflepuff. I've got it packed in my bag."

"Well bring it out and put it on," Harry gestured. "I want to see it."

Draco grabbed the bag and pulled the jumper over his head. "Oh! And my parents got me this great saddle – I hope you get to come out to the house some time and try it out. It's a trick saddle for Tywyll so I can do all sorts of things like stand up in it and do running mounts and a lot of other neat things. Isn't that right Sirius?"

Sirius came in with a tray of brownies that he put between them. "I'll say. From what I saw you were a natural on that thing."

"Maybe if you try out for the Hufflepuff team they'll let you ride a thestral instead of a broomstick," Harry teased.

"Hey!" Draco chewed a brownie. "The way Tywyll and I work together, that might not be such a bad idea."

"Knowing you?" Theo shot him a glance. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did."

OOO

"So he's still alive," Peter snapped. "Well done Quirrell, especially after I risked my life to get you those ingredients."

"W-w-well how was I s-supposed to know that t-the boy would recognize the p-p-potion?" He stuttered defensively. "It was supposed to be undetect-t-table!"

"It's only undetectable after full ingestion!" He shrieked. "That's what the book said! It only smells for a few minutes – you couldn't have gotten him alone for that long?"

"I d-d-don't see you doing any b-b-better," Quirrell replied icily. "B-besides, they still suspect S-snape. So not everything is l-l-lost."

"Lucky for you both," the cold voice of Voldemort replied. "I grow weary with your failures; both of yours. Do not think that your adequate competence at this task has exempted you, Pettigrew."

"Of course not my lord," he replied softly, averting his eyes.

"The problem was not the idea; the poison itself would have worked. No, the problem was that you failed to account for the other factors involved."

"My lord?" Quirrell wrung his hands.

"His friends – friends, I am ashamed to say, who have fathers that should have taught them better. The Nott boy was the reason that the poison failed to kill him. He was the one who directed the way towards the antidote. Without that bit of luck, Potter would be as dead as his parents. Unfortunately, luck and serendipity are forces which we have a limited ability to counter.

"We can, however, do something about those friends of his. After all – take away support and the building falls."

"What do you suggest?" Peter glanced over nervously.

"The forest has acromantulas, does it not?"

Voldemort sounded amused; that, however, only made Pettigrew feel all the worse for it.

OOO

_He turned over on his pillow and was unaccountably in a lap again, listening to a voice read from a volume. _

"…_none can call our power to account?--Yet who would have thought…"_

_The voice was reading with expression, as if it were acting out the words on the page. He could see the book in his minds eye; it was edged with gold leaf and the pages were made of thick, cream-coloured paper that was smooth to the touch. The voice continued, still acting, but evidently female. _

"_The thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?"_

_Beyond the lap and the book there was darkness and it seemed to be closing in. A scent filled his nostrils; death. The room smelled of death. _

"_Here's the smell of the blood still…"_

_He was gagging but the voice kept reading and reading as if nothing were happening. Something was terribly wrong; the air was starting to grow cold…_

"_What's done cannot be undone.--To bed, to bed, to bed!"_

_Unconsciously he clutched at his sheets; the book disappeared and he was falling into darkness, but still the voice kept reading, coming from further and further off._

"…_infected minds to their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets…"_

_Then there was darkness and silence, followed by a cry that was merely his own. He woke up, damp with sweat, remembering only snatches and failing to make sense of anything. _

OOO

A/N: Hooray for dream sequences :) So a few more things have been set into motion, a few more parallels were displayed, a few more hints have been given here and there and that just about concludes Christmas. Hope you all enjoyed and I'd love to hear from you if you did.


	34. Making Attempts

OOO

"Good to see you're finally able to stand up and skate in a straight line," Pansy smirked as she made a backwards loop, keeping her eyes on Ron making shaky forward progress.

"Not sure if my bum is ever going to recover though," he grumbled. "I've fallen on the ice so times, I think it's permanently numb."

"You're doing much better though." She twisted and changed directions, coming forward to meet him. "Practice enough and you'll be able to do what you did in the ballroom on the ice. Not to mention jumps and things like that."

His eyebrows shot up. "Who'd you think we are, Torvill and Dean?"

"Maybe." She grinned and stuck out her hand. "Come on, let's go back inside. We'll get some cocoa and cookies."

Back on the shore, Ron sighed as he flopped down into the snow and started tugging at his laces.

"What's the matter?" Pansy, sitting on a waterside bench, tugged her boots on.

"Christmas break is almost over."

"We have until New Years, you know. That's at least a few more days."

"Less than a week already, though. And we go back practically right after."

"Hogwarts isn't so bad though." She fixed the guards on her blades then put them into a sack she'd brought with her. "I mean, you'll be with us and won't have to associate with anybody you don't want to there."

"Yeah, but it'll have Potter," he muttered with a sour expression.

"That can't be helped. But it's better than being at home, for you at least."

"And what about the rest of the year?" He stood, brushing the snow off of his pants and handing his skates to Pansy who put them in with hers. "What will I do once school gets out for the summer? It was nice of you to invite me over for this, but Christmas break isn't that long. Summer vacation is a whole three months; I'm going to have to go home for at least part, if not the majority, of that time."

"You let me worry about that. It's a few months off anyway," she shrugged as they started crunching through the snow back to her house. "Something will work itself out before then."

"I sure hope so." He jammed his hands inside the pockets of the thick coat Pansy had gotten him a week earlier. "I'll go spare if I have to spend twelve weeks with the twins."

Pansy laughed. "I'd go spare spending five minutes with them. I really don't understand how you managed to grow up with them and come out fairly normal."

"I almost didn't make it out at all," he rolled his eyes. "I ever tell you about the time they transfigured my teddy bear into a spider?"

Her face scrunched up. "That's gross!"

"Tell me about it." He shivered. "Spiders still give me the willies."

"I don't blame you. I'd have cried for a week solid if that happened to me. Lucky for me I was an only child; the only one who ever did bizarre stuff like that whom I knew was Draco."

"What'd he do?"

"As a kid? He bit me."

"Seriously?"

"Dead serious."

"How'd that happen?"

"I was making fun of his dog. He hangs onto that thing like it's a person or something. I was visiting and he drew this really ugly picture of the beast. I made fun of it – not like anybody wouldn't – so he bit me."

Ron shook his head. "What a nutter. I'm _glad_ he's not in Slytherin."

"Pft," she scoffed. "He wouldn't last two weeks in there. And he might not last anyway."

"What do you mean by that?" Ron gave her a sideways glance.

"Draco's got a knack for making enemies of the wrong people and hanging out with the wrong sort. Someday he's going to get himself into something that his dad and mum can't bail him out of. At least that's what my dad always says." She pulled her scarf a little tighter. "He says stuff about you're family too, you know," she added quietly.

"I'm not the same as them!" He spat out vehemently. "I _want _to succeed! I want to get ahead, to have nice things, to not be ashamed all the time of who I am and what I look like!"

"I know, I know."

"Your dad doesn't think the same way about me, does he?" He looked over nervously. "I mean, he knows I'm not like them, right?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "Well, at least mum does. She says that you're turning out better than any of your brothers. Dad is a _little_ more reluctant," she admitted. "Says that he'll wait and see before he believes you're really different. That a leopard can't changes its spots."

"I'm a good Slytherin," he replied quietly.

"I know. And when you get your chance you'll prove it," she told him with a hint of pride in her voice. "Then nobody will be able to doubt you."

They reached her door and entered into the foyer, stamping the snow off of their boots and onto the doormat. Stripping off their coats, they left them on a bench next to the door and walked into the kitchen.

"You know," Pansy thought aloud as she began pulling out the cocoa supplies, "the other thing we should probably do is warming up to Snape. It's not just the respect of other Slytherins you have to earn; you need to get the head of our House on your side."

"Like that'll ever happen." He grabbed a madeleine from a plate and nibbled the edges. "He does think I'm the same as my brothers, and will probably never think otherwise."

"That's why you have to work extra hard to prove him wrong," she insisted. "If you get good at potions he won't be able to ignore you."

"I'll never be as good as those stupid Gryffindors, Nott and Hermione." He drew the cup of cocoa she set in front of him closer and dipped the madeleine into the drink. "What's the use?"

"You can be as good, though. Every bit as good," she insisted. "You just need to practice."

"And you can help?"

"I always do."

OOO

"Was something the matter last night?" Draco glanced over at Nott as they thumbed through the CDs in the London store they were visiting. "I heard you making noises and you looked really pale when you came down to breakfast."

"Nothing was wrong," Nott shook his head. "Just dreams."

"I know what you mean." Draco pulled out a jewel box and looked at the track list on the back before replacing it. "I have them too, on occasion. Think Harry has too; I've heard him muttering about his parents once or twice."

"Probably a side effect of looking into that stupid mirror," Nott huffed, as if Harry's dreams proved his point about its dangers.

"I guess. Find anything you like?"

"Yes, in fact. Recordings of _Turandot_ and _Norma_."

Draco made a face. "Opera? Bo-ring."

"Don't knock it until you've tried it," Nott smirked. "You might like it."

"Fat chance of that." Draco rolled his eyes and added a CD to his growing pile of purchases.

"Oh? And what fascinating, enriching music might you be purchasing?"

"Queen." Draco reached for another album. "And maybe some Beatles. Or some U2. Haven't decided yet."

"Well… I suppose the Beatles aren't so bad."

"What? Got something against Freddy Mercury?" Draco challenged.

"No – just against terrible, cacophonous noise," Nott teased.

"Well, we'd better check out soon. Got an owl from Luna and Ginny after breakfast – they want to meet us in about half an hour to go see that movie we were talking about."

"That animated one?"

"Yeah, it came out in the U.S. last year. It's supposed to be really good – one of Disney's best ever."

"I'll take your word for it."

Harry walked up with a grin on his face, carrying a stack of books. "Hey guys. How's it going?"

"Great," Draco grinned back. "I managed to find a few things. Comics, music – Nott got a bunch of opera. What about you?"

"Yeah, I found a few things. I'd rather have books for, you know, our type, but since you got me that CD player I figured I should get some stuff for it – even if it won't work at Hogwarts."

"I know. It figures that no electronics work. But at least you can listen over break. And remember – I'll pick up the tab for this one. My present to you, for Christmas."

"Feel kinda bad that I didn't get you anything." Harry blushed.

"Way to guilt us Draco," Nott smirked. "Although while we're on the subject, the geode bookends _were_ quite beautiful."

"You two were at Hogwarts – didn't expect you'd be able to go out shopping. Besides, you don't have to get me anything; I just like to give gifts. It makes people happy."

"Oh really? What else have you been giving?" Nott looked at him suspiciously.

"I suspect you'll find out soon enough, when we go to the movie this afternoon," Draco replied with a smile then refused to say any more about it.

"Well, if we do get you anything while we're out today, you promise you won't look?" Harry wheedled. "You wouldn't peek in the bag until we got back?"

"I suppose," Draco promised. "That shouldn't be too hard. Going to get something here or at Diagon Alley later on?"

"That is a surprise," Harry winked. "Don't think you're the only one with secrets."

They met up with Sirius at the checkout, ducked into an alley were Sirius changed back into a dog and then piled into a cab to go to a local theater. Luna and Ginny were already waiting outside, bouncing up and down a bit to keep themselves warm.

"You brought your dog?" Ginny laughed. "They'll never let you in with him."

"Shhhhh," Draco made a motion for her to keep quiet. "Here's how it'll work; Nott and Harry will buy the tickets while we stroll down the walk and duck into a side street," he whispered. "Then I'll drop my invisibility cloak over him, we'll enter the theater when there aren't many people about and it'll all be fine."

"You're sure about that?" She looked at him skeptically.

"The movie's in the cheap theater already; it's not like it's going to be overcrowded in there. And Dragon knows to be quiet in a place like that. He's a good boy."

She looked at Dragon, then back at Draco and laughed. "You're so crazy, Draco." He grinned and she shook her head. "You know, some day you're going to get into trouble doing things like this."

He shrugged. "I'll just get myself out of it, then."

"You'd better hope you _can_," she teased. "Well then, let's go. Come on Luna," she gestured.

Less than fifteen minutes later they were all reclining in their seats in the darkness, munching pop corn.

"Told you so," Draco whispered.

"Fine, you're right – this time. I still think you're crazy," Ginny replied.

"It looks like we're the only ones here," Harry remarked as the previews began to play.

"So it seems," Nott concurred.

"Well you know what that means then," Draco grinned.

"Oh no…" Nott groaned.

"That's right – there's no need to be quiet!" He cheered. "We can be as loud as we like and talk as much as we want!"

"That doesn't mean you should," Nott replied icily.

"Yeah, but it's too much fun not to," Ginny laughed.

"I hear there's a big ballroom scene in it," Luna replied. "I think I should like to dance in the aisles."

"Do whatever you please – for the next hour and a half, the theater is ours!" Draco put his feet up and stuffed his mouth full of popcorn.

Ninety minutes later they exited the theater, all of them save for Nott giggling uncontrollably.

"I really like the drinking song," Harry managed between laughs.

"No one hits like Gaston!" Draco sang.

"Matches wits like Gaston," Ginny chimed in.

"In a spitting match nobody spits like Gaston!" Harry finished.

They broke down again and kept chatting and laughing until they managed to find their way into Diagon Alley. Draco removed the cloak and they all went into Florean Fortescues, still open despite the chilly temperatures.

"Look, they have all their seasonal flavors," Ginny pointed out. "I think I'll have a scoop of the peppermint candy cane."

"I'll try the eggnog, I suppose," Nott murmured.

"Since they don't have snozzberry, I guess I'll settle for the gingerbread," Luna mused.

"I'm sticking to the mint chocolate chip," Harry spoke up.

"And I'll take the chocolate chip cookie dough. So we're already ready? Great, let's order," Draco walked up to the counter with Harry while Nott and the girls grabbed a booth, Sirius settling himself in underneath and waiting for the kids to slip him bits of cone. Not as good as being there himself, but since Luna and Ginny were there, it would have to do.

OOO

"Where did you get that thing anyway?" Peter looked at the egg suspiciously, as if it were about to burst into flame.

"Never you m-m-mind where I got it," Quirrell wrapped it up in a cloak. "It's enough that I have it isn't it?"

"You'd better not screw this up," Pettigrew replied apprehensively.

"You don't think I know that?" He snapped, adjusting his turban nervously. "Hagrid's an oaf; he'll never see it coming. And before the day is out we should know how to get past that d-d-damned dog!"

"There are still all the other traps," Peter fretted.

"Well you let those of us with b-b-brains and talent worry about those," Quirrell sniffed, turning to the door. "I'll tell you how it went when I get back. In the mean time, try to make yourself useful. Read or s-s-something, practice being less of an idiot."

He swept out of the room and Peter breathed a sigh of relief that he was taking Voldemort with him. Their master didn't always speak – it took too much of his energy – but it unnerved Peter to know or at least suspect that he was always listening, watching for any signs of weakness. It was enough to make a person paranoid. All in all, it was a tossup between living like he was and living as Scabbers.

When Quirrell stormed back in, hours later, with a look that hovered between fury and horror, Peter cringed. He didn't bother to ask how it went, and didn't want to know, but Quirrell didn't seem to care.

"He wasn't there!" The lanky man seethed. "It's Christmas holidays and he wasn't there!"

"He doesn't drink all the time you know," Peter ventured.

"Well where else am I supposed to find him in a place that won't attract suspicion? Not like I can walk up to him in the halls and accost him."

"That is entirely up to you," Peter replied. "But seeing as I can have little to nothing to do with this, I'm getting some sleep." He glared over his shoulder. "And you'd better be keeping that egg cold! If you're leaving it here I don't want it hatching on me!"

He made his way over to a bed that the room had created for him and burrowed under it, waiting for the telltale slam of the door that would indicate Quirrell had left for his own quarters. One after Peter was sure he'd gone did he allow himself to close his eyes and drift off, imagining a time before his life had devolved into a complete, bloody mess.

OOO

It was quite late by the time Harry and Theodore returned to Hogwarts. After they'd parted ways with Ginny and Luna they'd done a bit of exploring on their own. Sirius had changed back, albeit in a disguised form, and Harry and Nott had canvassed the shops looking for something to give to Draco. In the end they went with grooming supplies for Tywyll and a pendant made from a dragon's tooth. They had been considering a halter to match the saddle he'd gotten, until Nott remembered Draco saying how much he hated them.

They wrapped them up as best they could and gave them to Draco, before they all to his home through the fireplace. Once there, Harry and Nott wrapped themselves up in the cloak again and found Tywyll on the grounds, waving good-bye to Sirius and Draco who would be spending the rest of the holidays at Malfoy Manor.

The duo managed to make it back to Hogwarts just as the evening supper was ending. They tossed their bags onto their beds, and then rushed down the steps and dropped into the Great Hall for a bit where they were warmly greeted by Millicent, who gave them each crushing hugs.

"Good to see you two are feeling better." She released Nott who tried to control his gasping for air. "I was worried something else might have done you two in."

"The twins told you we were OK, right? Just a touch of cold?" Harry replied weakly once she loosened her hold on him.

"Yeah, but I mean, still. After all that other stuff. I was worried." She smiled for a moment then her face lit up. "But now that you're feeling better we can do something, right? Exploding snap or chess or something of that sort?"

"Of course," Harry nodded. "But didn't you do anything with the twins?"

"They were holed up in the tower most of the time," she informed them, glaring at the red-heads in question. "That or going down to the village where we first years aren't privileged enough to go yet, doing who knows what."

"Research," Fred supplied with a grin.

"Yeah," George affirmed through a mouthful of pie. He swallowed then grinned to match his twin. "Research."

"I hate to think for what." Nott speared a piece of potato with his fork. "All I know is that I'm never eating anything that the two of you offer me – and I would suggest you don't either," he nodded to Harry and Millicent.

"I'll keep that in mind," Millicent replied wryly. "Although I'm sure that whatever you guys come up with, I'll want to use it on my house-mates at some point in the not-so-distant future."

"Yeah, well, your housemates are a bunch of gits," replied Fred. "So we might give you some of our merchandise free of charge."

"And I'm assuming Percy doesn't now what you've been doing," Nott went on.

"Of course not!" George scoffed. "Do you think we're daft? That we want points taken away or to be given detentions?"

"He'd do that, you know," Fred interjected. "To his own brothers. No sense of loyalty, Perce, not when it comes to following rules. Can't figure out for the life of me how he ended up in our house and not in Ravenclaw."

"He'd go mental if he knew that was how we were spending our spare time. And worse of all…" George trailed off.

"He'd tell our mum," Fred finished.

"We'd get a Howler for sure." He looked over at Millicent. "Promise that if we get you some of our stuff once it's ready that you'll use it on our _other _slimy ponce of a brother?"

"I'd rather use them on Pansy, but sure – why not? Not like he isn't as much of a jerk to me as the rest of them."

"And on that cheerful note, I think we should get upstairs." Nott nodded towards the teacher's table. "We're starting to get looks."

"I'm done anyway." Harry pushed aside his plate and stood up. "So – exploding snap then?"

"Sure," she smiled.

"You two can go ahead – I'm eager to start in on the book I got for Christmas."

"Oh come on, Nott."

"What? It's not like I won't be in the Common Room with you; I'm not going to hide in my four-poster or something."

"Well… I guess. As long as you don't get _totally_ lost in it," Harry compromised.

"I promise, I won't."

"Let's get going then." Millicent made for the door. Once they were in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, she laughed. "You know, I spend so much time here, I'm going to know your passwords better than you two do."

"Not like that takes a lot of effort," Fred added.

"Hey!" Harry feigned at being injured, but couldn't help breaking into a smile.

Climbing through the hole, they all settled in front of the fire, reclining in the plush chairs and relaxing, enjoying a serene and cozy evening together.

OOO

A/N: I know – a quick update! Shocking! And hopefully more will follow. Hope you enjoyed – still wrapping up the holidays a bit. There should be more with the mirror in the next chapter or two, when Draco gets back. And after that, Norbert and the Forest. Muahahaha. Fun times are ahead. Hope you enjoyed and, like always, reviews are much appreciated.


	35. World to Change

OOO

"What's the time?" Nott glanced up from his book to look at the group of Gryffindors, plus Millicent, pacing around, noisemakers at the ready and bottles prepared to toast. Fred and George had brought in butterbeer for everybody from Hogsmeade; they weren't going to let Percy know, but they informed Nott and Harry that they'd managed to get their hands on a flask of firewhiskey as well, to be enjoyed out of the sight of their eagle-eyed brother.

"It's about 11:52," Harry replied with a glance at the clock above the fireplace. "You'd better put the book down and come on and join us."

Nott nodded and left the book on the chair, taking the bottle of butterbeer that George offered him.

"Shouldn't we be singing?" Millicent suggested. "Auld Lang Syne or something?"

"You remember the lyrics?" Fred wondered; Millicent shook her head. "Neither does anybody else, I suspect. So the point's moot."

"Seems boring, just waiting around though," she replied.

"If we had a television we could watch the ball drop," Harry interjected. "Fireworks, too."

"What?" Fred looked at him curiously.

"You know, the ball. Or maybe you don't; I forgot that some of this stuff doesn't translate." He glanced over at Millicent. "Do you know?"

"Yeah, my grandmother used to watch it on a little TV in her kitchen. When it's the New Year, this big, sparkly ball descends at a minute to midnight and everybody counts down. In New York, they drop it in Times Square."

"Speaking of a minute to midnight – it's 11:58," Fred mentioned. "Better get ready."

"And… one minute…" George counted.

"Sixty… fifty-nine… fifty-eight… fifty-seven…"

Less than a minute later, cheers broke out and everybody twisted off the caps on their butterbeers, clinking bottles and spilling the drink all over the carpet before chugging them down. Fred and George blew noisemakers that made the room resonate with sound and tossed streamers about. Percy looked at them disapprovingly, quietly sipping his butterbeer, while Harry and Millicent joined in enthusiastically, even getting Nott to take part after a bit of teasing and nudging.

"Happy New Year," Harry reiterated to his friends.

"Happy New Year," they echoed back.

OOO

"Is this alcoholic?" Ron swished the liquid around in the fluted glass nervously.

"Of course it's alcoholic," Pansy giggled. "Champagne is alcohol by definition, silly."

"I don't think I'm allowed to have alcohol," he whispered urgently.

"Who told you that," she rolled her eyes. "Your family?"

"I'm just… not allowed! I'm _eleven_, kids aren't supposed to have this stuff."

"Says who?" She looked at him severely. "Look, children from refined families drink proper drinks all the time. Beverages like wine and champagne – it's not like you're swilling firewhiskey out of a brown paper bag or something.

"And anyway, my dad poured that for you and me, right?" Ron nodded. "He wouldn't give us something bad, would he? Wouldn't give us this if it wasn't the right and proper thing to do?"

"I suppose not…"

"Well then," she told him firmly, "there's your answer. If my father says that it's alright for you to have a little champagne on a special occasion during a private party, then don't worry about it. You won't get into any trouble."

"If you say so," he sighed.

"Don't look so down about it," she admonished. "Champagne is good, you'll see. Now come on, they're about to count down.

"Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one… Happy New Year!"

Pansy clinked her glass against Ron's and they drank deeply. Ron lowered the glass, about half as full as it had been, looking wide-eyed and surprised.

"This is good!"

"I told you it would be," she smiled over the rim of her glass.

"I'm glad I'm allowed to have it." He drained more of the champagne. "I just don't understand why it isn't against the rules like it would be if I were at home. It's like there's a different set of rules when I'm here with you."

"Of course there are," Pansy laughed airily as she finished the last of her champagne. "We're rich." She set her glass down and motioned for Ron to do the same once he'd finished. "Now, come. The band is about to play Auld Lang Syne."

"So?"

"So we're going to go and dance." She smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, you'll be just fine."

"But I don't remember anything!"

"Just relax and follow me," she told him as the music started and they made their way to the flood along with all of the finely dressed adult wizards and witches who were there.

OOO

Off in Wiltshire, Draco's mother and father were hosting a party not unlike the one Pansy's parents were hosting, attending by all of the prominent witches and wizards of the area. However, unlike Pansy, Draco was nowhere to be found among their number.

Instead he was lying beneath the stars, Dragon by his side and Tywyll standing a little distance off. There was a bed of snow beneath his back and while it was starting to melt, he could still feel the cold doing its best to seep in through the multiple layers he was wearing. Above him, the stars were brilliant points of light against a dark, clear sky.

A chill breeze brushed against his skin and Draco inhaled deeply, his eyes closing for a moment. Up in the sky, the moon glowed and he opened his eyes and gazed upon it intently.

"It's almost time," he whispered to Sirius.

Then he closed his eyes one more and focused. He could feel Dragon next to him, the heat of his body and the rhythm of his heart and the tickle of his breath and the scent that was Sirius. He could feel the cold, extending from the snow-covered ground into the wintery night air, going up, up, up to the frozen layers far above them. He could feel the earth beneath the snow, insulated by it and waiting for it to melt. Beyond the expanse of snow, off to his right, was the forest that bounded the mansion grounds. At first it was just forest; then it became trees, then bark and branches and dead leaves. In another direction lay the lake, water lapping beneath a crust of ice, its denizens slowly drifting. There were stables, greenhouses, rises and falls in the lands, and finally, far away, was the house

Everywhere, creatures were sleeping, anticipating the first warmth of spring. Everywhere plants were dormant, waiting to bud. Everything was anticipation and sensation, sheer, chilling cold, and warm, vibrant life, everything building to a culmination and Draco could feel all of it, permeating every inch of his body.

"Now," he whispered, opening his eyes and staring into the endless, spangled darkness.

Far away at the manor, at that precise moment, his parents and their guests cheered and sipped their champagne as well.

OOO

The first night that everybody came back from break, Harry, Theo and Draco went to their usual spot at the side of the lake, despite the freezing temperatures outside.

"How did the rest of your break go?" Draco inquired. "Liked the presents by the way," he grinned, pulling out the dragon's tooth necklace to show that he was wearing it.

"Pretty well. Had a bit of a party on New Years but not much else." Harry sighed. "And now I suppose it's time to start studying again."

"You wouldn't be so worried if you'd kept up on it during break," Nott pointed out.

"Who wants to study during the holidays?" Harry retorted.

Draco just laughed. "Yeah, I guess we will. But I wouldn't worry about it too much Harry. We'll both manage I suspect."

"Manage?" Nott sounded incredulous. "You should want to do a lot more than just _manage_. You should want to succeed!"

"We'll leave that up to you." Draco winked at Harry who grinned back.

"You two do that just to aggravate me, don't you?" Nott snapped. "Well I hope you both get 'T's on all your exams!"

"You don't mean that," Harry pushed him playfully.

"I most certainly do!" He sounded indignant, but Harry and Draco knew better. "I should be getting back inside, though."

"Studying already?" Draco asked.

"No; I have a book I want to finish, but not for class. It's quite good; I really can't put it down."

"What is it?"

"_House Made of Dawn_. It won its author the Pulitzer Prize back in the sixties, you know."

"Theodore…"

"I know, I know, you probably have no clue what that is." He stood up and brushed the snow off his robes. "Regardless, I would like to finish it tonight, if you don't mind. Good evening to you both."

"Bye Nott," Harry waved.

"Good night," Draco called after him. As soon as Nott was out of earshot, Draco twisted me around. "Mind showing me that mirror, then?"

"Nope. Come on, I stashed my cloak in my bag in case we got a moment alone." He gave Draco a conspiratorial smile. "Don't tell Nott though, he's dead set against me ever going back."

"My lips are sealed," Draco replied as the slipped under the cloak together and made their way through the labyrinthine halls.

The passageways were, by then, mostly deserted. It wasn't quite curfew, but it was close enough that nobody wanted to be out and about for fear of running into an overzealous Filch who would surely insist that the hour of curfew had gone by. Well, nobody save perhaps adventurous souls like the Weasley twins.

Harry lead Draco confidently, having set the way to memory out of his fervent desire to return whether Nott liked it or Nott. When they got there, Harry pointed towards it.

"See?" He whispered. "I still see my parents there. But Nott saw a library, so obviously it's going to be different for you too."

"It is…" Draco trailed off.

"What is it?"

"It's my parents…"

"Draco, they're alive. Why would you see them?" Harry interrupted, confused.

"They're with…" He swallowed and lowered his voice. "They're with Sirius. They're all getting along, talking and laughing like they were old friends or something. Mother's pouring them tea, father's chatting, Sirius is smiling like he does when he's with us…"

"Oh." Harry paused. "I suppose… well yeah. That makes sense. I mean, that's one of the things you've always worried about, isn't it? That you'd have to choose between them someday?"

Draco nodded. "I thought about that a lot before I was Sorted; that I couldn't please everybody. And I got out of that dilemma in a way I suppose. But a secret like this – it can't be kept hidden forever. It_ can't_. And I don't know what's going to happen when my parents find out about it, if they'll be mad at me or get him into trouble or what.

"If they all just got along I wouldn't have to worry so much about it."

"Yeah." Harry sighed. "I know. I can't expect they're too happy about you being chummy with Gryffindors either, hunh?"

"We don't talk about it much," Draco admitted. "I think my dad's a little more disappointed than my mum is, but they haven't forbid me to be friends with you guys or anything like that."

"I'm sorry," Harry sighed.

"Nothing for you to be sorry about." Draco frowned. "It's not you. It's not even them. It's… it's _everything_. The stupid system and the stupid way and everything like that – it was years ago but it still screws everything up. Like Pettigrew still being out there and that stone and everything else. And even if there wasn't the war, all that stuff Sirius' mom says, all that bitterness and prejudice and hatred – it goes back years!" Draco looked at Harry with a pained expression. "What are we supposed to do about it?"

"Not be like that?" Harry suggested. "Do the best we can? I don't know what else there is."

"I wish we could change it," Draco whispered miserably. "I wish we could change it all. I love my parents, I really do, but some of the things they say… and I know they just want the best for me. And I know they learned this stuff when they were really little and heard it all their lives without anybody to tell them different so maybe it's not _all_ their fault. But I want it – want _them_ – to be different." He sighed. "I'm sorry. Getting a bit deep and depressing, aren't I? I'll stop."

"It's fine," Harry whispered. "I think about that stuff to. Coming here and seeing my parents. Makes me wonder what goes into a guy like Voldemort, you know? I mean, what leads a person to killing babies and slaughtering Muggles and things like that? I'd fight somebody if I had to and I might dislike people but I can't even imagine doing half of what they say he did."

"I don't know," Draco replied. "Not enough love in his childhood, something cliché like that?"

"I wasn't exactly coddled, but I don't want to go around taking it out on half the wizarding world," Harry pointed out.

"Maybe you're special. Different. Decent."

"I'm not that different from anybody else I know."

"Maybe you just can't see the difference," Draco suggested. "I mean, that's how we are, isn't it? Bit paranoid to go around assuming the worst of people all the time. Nicer to think that most people are decent, deep down inside. Maybe you are really decent and just don't realize how terrible some people can be underneath, people who don't seem that way at all just to meet them on the street."

"Ok, now it is getting depressing," Harry forced a laugh. "Maybe Nott was right about this mirror; sit here mulling over it and your thoughts start to go off into all sorts of strange directions."

"Back to the dorms then?"

"I think so," Harry nodded. "Before we decide life's completely dark and hopeless."

Draco managed a smile; but as they headed back down to the Hufflepuff dormitory, he remained silent the entire time. Harry wondered what he might be thinking but, as with Nott, decided that it would probably be rude to intrude upon his thoughts.

OOO

"Have you seen the new earrings I got from my grandmother for Christmas?" Susan gestured to her ears as she, Hannah, Ernie and Draco made their way towards the library to study for a Transfiguration exam. ""They're little badgers carved out of onyx!"

"They're so cute!" Hannah leaned over to see them more closely. "Where did she get them?"

"She had them particularly carved at some London jeweler. Isn't that cool?"

"Wow. Wish my grandparents were that generous."

"They're just earrings," Ernie rolled his eyes and Draco nodded in agreement. "There's more important stuff to think about anyway." He turned towards Draco. "I know Harry's your friend and all – but you will be cheering for us in the match, won't you?"

"Of course! Although I don't mind if he wins – anything to see Slytherin lose."

"That's right," Susan remarked. "Not that I want us to lose; but if Gryffindor wins, they pull ahead in the cup race, don't they?"

"Yeah," Draco nodded. "They do."

"And speaking of Slytherin and Gryffindor…" Ernie pointed ahead. "Isn't that Neville Longbottom over there with Pansy and Ron?"

Without waiting for the rest of his friends to act, Draco rushed forward to where the girl had the terrified Neville pinned against the wall.

"Lets see you get out of that one, you great lump," she smirked. "Anybody with talent could – but, oh wait, that's right, you haven't got any."

"Hey," Draco shouted as he pulled up short of running into them. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing that's any business of yours," Ron retorted and confronted him.

Ernie and the others caught up just then.

"What did you do to Neville?" Susan demanded, casting a sympathetic glance at the terrified boy.

"Figure it out yourselves," Pansy sniffed.

"Tell us!" Draco demanded.

Crabbe and Goyle suddenly emerged from the shadows further down the hallway and the two groups confronted each other, tensely staring back at one another. Neville, in an attempt to get away from the seemingly impending fight, gave a timid hop, at which point Susan grew living.

"A Leg-Locker Curse?" She glowered. "Nice. I expect you thought it was funny, the idea of him having to hop all the way back to his common room?" She muttered the counter-curse and Neville's legs separated as if they had been unglued. He backed into a wall, sweating nervously.

"Well… yeah!" Ron chuckled. "What's the matter, Neville? Can't even fix the problem yourself? Need a load of Hufflepuff idiots to take care of you?" The other boy withered under Ron's teasing. "Maybe you should see if they'll be your bodyguard; you certainly need one, though I don't know who'd want to bother protecting somebody as useless as you."

"That's enough!" Draco shouted and leveled his wand at Ron. "Another word out of you and you'll see what it's like to be on the receiving end of a curse!"

"I'm so terribly frightened," Ron rolled his eyes. "What are you going to do? Bite me?" He withdrew his own wand. "Unless you happen to be a werewolf, that's not going to work."

Draco's cheeks reddened in anger and he heard the swish of three other wands being drawn and aimed behind him.

Spells were on the tips of eight tongues when Madame Pince suddenly appeared out of the door of the library.

"We're certainly not dueling in the halls, are we?" She demanded severely. "Because that would be detentions for all of you and at least twenty points off per person."

Quickly, they all shoved their wands into bags or pockets, still seething or smirking. 

"No, not at all," Draco muttered.

"Good," she snapped, casting piercing glances on all of them. "Well? What are you waiting for? Don't keep blocking up the hallway lollygagging."

Neville needed no further urging; he was down the hall like a shot, and Draco gritted his teeth to hear the Slytherins laughing at the sight. Still chuckling, Pansy took Ron's arm and turned him around.

"Let's go," she told him. "We've wasted enough time on this pathetic lot as it is."

They sauntered away and Draco's shoulders sagged as they watched the Slytherins leave. Entering the library to study, he fumed about what had just happened.

"I should have just taken the shot," he muttered. "At least they would have lost points."

"We would have too," Hannah pointed out as she opened their textbooks.

"Yeah, but we're pretty far behind anyway." He took out a quill and his notes and began scanning for important passages to underline. "I hate to sound disloyal and all, but wouldn't it be better to help Slytherin lose even if it doesn't help us win?"

"I know what you mean," Ernie chimed in. "I'm not saying we should throw the game or anything. But even if we rack up a ton of points, we're not going to win the House Cup. And I don't think I could stand Slytherin winning it again."

"We can still try our best, though," Hannah replied. "Sinking ourselves to bring down Slytherin, well… I hate to say it, but it's something that a Slytherin would do. Victory at any cost, that sort of thing."

"I guess you're right," Draco sighed. "But still – if we have to see the hall decorated in green and silver during the final feast, I think I'm going to hurl in my food."

Ernie nodded in agreement before they tried to put the incident behind them and focus on their upcoming test.

OOO

A/N: So everybody's back at Hogwarts and now you know what Draco sees in the mirror. :) And we're moving closer and closer to the conclusion of events in the first point, although, as always, many more twists and turns lie ahead. Hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be out shortly.


	36. Thrilling Victory

OOO

Thanks to Wood's news about Snape refereeing the next Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, Harry had been in high dudgeon all evening and hadn't even noticed Neville's prolonged absence. Nott had retreated into studying, if only to get a reprieve from listening to Harry's near-constant brooding over the subject.

When Neville finally returned to the common room, pale and trembling, Nott immediately noticed that something was out of place. Setting down his textbook, he walked over to Neville who was attempting to sneak up to the dorms without drawing anybody's attention.

"Is something the matter Neville?" He looked the other boy over. "You look shaken."

Neville shook his head, but then Harry drew next to Nott and joined in. "You're paler than Nearly-Headless Nick," he added. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Neville shook his head. "Just had a bit of a run-in with Pansy and Ron."

"Pansy and Ron?" Nott's mouth curved downward and his eyes narrowed. "What did they do this time?"

"Nothing much. Just a…" he mumbled something that the two boys strained to hear.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"Leg-Locker Curse," Neville sighed.

"A _Leg-Locker_?" Nott sounded aghast.

"Yeah," he nodded miserably. "And I couldn't even get out of it myself. Your pal Draco and a bunch of his other Hufflepuff friends came along and got me out of it. Susan Bones was the one who used the countercurse, not me."

"Well what did you do then?" Harry pulled out his last Chocolate Frog and handed it to Neville, guessing that, as worried and nervous as he was, Neville could use it more. "Tell me you socked them in the jaw or something."

Again, Neville shook his head 'no.' "I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. The others looked like they were going to duel, though; at least they were until Madame Pince stepped in."

"You should report them," Hermione interjected in a superior tone, having walked up behind Nott. "Ron and Pansy both. Maybe if they get detentions they'll think twice about it."

"Yeah," he muttered. "Twice as hard about how to get me back for giving them detentions. No way."

"Well you can't just be a rug and let him walk all over you!" Harry protested. "Pull out your wand the next time – Slytherins aren't the only ones who know curses!"

"It'd probably just go wrong and I'd end up looking stupid into the bargain." Neville chewed on the Chocolate Frog.

"Don't talk like that," Harry shook him by the shoulder. "You're a Gryffindor right?"

"Don't know why…"

"But you are! And that means that the Hat must have seen something in you, better than what it saw in them!" He grinned. "You're a Gryffindor and they're just stinking Slytherins." Nott viciously elbowed him at that point and Harry twisted around, looking surprised. "That hurt! What was that for?"

"For Millicent," Nott replied. "Before you start raging on about Slytherins in general."

"Oh." Harry's face fell and he looked abashed. "Well… yeah."

"Besides," Neville pointed out, "Ron said that he _wanted_ to be in that house. That he begged the Hat to put him there and not in Gryffindor like the rest of his family."

"Well he's a git," Harry retorted. "And that would hold true no matter what house he got into. You're worth a lot more than he'll ever be – him or Pansy. Trust me."

Neville nodded but looked unconvinced. "I need some sleep. You want the frog card?" He held it out for Harry to take.

"Dumbledore," he shrugged, flipping the card over. "And look – it mentions Flamel."

""Lovely," Nott glanced at it. "At least we know why it's here; Flamel must trust him deeply if they worked together."

"And at least it further confirms your hypothesis," Hermione added.

"Hypothesis?" Nott looked at her severely. "You mean to suggest that it was a simple supposition?"

Hermione looked askance. "I'm just saying it was an educated guess, wasn't it?"

"I never _guess_," he retorted. "I _know_." Then he walked off to pick his book back up and resumed reading.

"Well then!" Hermione huffed. "One way or another, though – we do know what's down there."

"Let's just hope it can be protected from Snape." He stuffed the card into his pocket. "Let's hope that I can be too, for that matter."

OOO

Despite Harry's best efforts to remain unconcerned about the upcoming match, he couldn't help growing increasingly on edge as the day approached. Each time he saw Snape, he averted his gaze as his thoughts flew back to Nott's discussion of legilimency. He wanted to maintain his strength, show that he could stand up to Snape and the Slytherins, but it was getting harder day by day as Snape bore down on him, in and out of class.

"I'm going to go crazy," he muttered to Nott over dinner. "Snape is driving me up a wall and the game hasn't even come around yet!"

"Just remember – avoid eye contact and you take away one of his tools."

"If he even _is_ a legilimens. We don't know that for sure."

"Doubting me too?" He snapped and took another

"No…" Harry took a sip of his pumpkin juice. "I'm just saying that not even you know everything. Maybe you're mistaken and we're getting worked up over nothing. Maybe he's just really creepy."

"Whatever else Snape may be," Nott replied with a frosty tone, "I'm sure that he is a legilimens. Too many facts point in that direction and coincidence can only count for so much. He hints at what you're thinking, constantly bores into you with those eyes of his, has a whispered history of knowing dark magic that follows him like a shadow – if he's not a legilimens I'll snap my wand."

"Well then where does that leave me?" Harry asked through a mouth full of pork chop. "What am I supposed to do at the game if I'm always looking over my shoulder, worrying about what he's going to do?"

"You just play Quidditch." Nott scraped the last of his potatoes off the plate. "We'll worry about Snape."

"We'll?"

"Everybody will be at the game, won't they? Even if it is against Hufflepuff, Draco and his housemates aren't going to let Snape get away with anything either. Hermione took a tip from Pansy and has been practicing the Leg-Locker curse all week."

"Practicing on who?" Harry smirked knowingly.

"Well why not?" Theo bristled. "We went back and forth. We both needed the practice."

"I hope it pays off. Otherwise I'll be lucky not to break my neck."

"That won't happen."

"Is that a promise?"

For a moment, Theodore paused in mid-bite, as if reflecting on the carelessness of making such an assurance. Then he nodded.

"A promise," he affirmed, then continued eating.

OOO

"I want that thing out of here!" Pettigrew pointed a trembling finger towards the dragon's egg. "Haven't you managed to corner Hagrid yet? Can't you figure out any other way to get past the damn thing?"

"Not yet!" Quirrell snapped, throwing himself into one of the chairs that the room provided. "Can't you shut up for five minutes? I came here to get some peace. It's getting tiring, having Snape hovering over me constantly."

"I thought Snape was on our side," Pettigrew gnawed his lip and drew closer to the fire.

"Years ago. He doesn't know the master is with us again," Quirrell replied icily. "And he's such a good distraction even without knowing. Why run the risk that his loyalties have changed?"

"The only risk I care about right now," Pettigrew replied tensely, "is if that thing hatches."

"There's nowhere else safer to leave it!" Quirrell shot back, agitated. "Stop whining about it! Unless you toss it into the fire, it won't get hot enough to even come close to hatching."

"You're not the one who has to sit in here watching it all day."

"Would you rather I tossed you back into the forbidden forest? Or better still, rather I turned you out? Then you could explain to Dumbledore and the rest why you're not dead and where you've been hiding all these years." Pettigrew fell silent, crossed his arms and turned away. "I thought so. Keep your mouth shut and it will be out of here soon enough." He sighed and sank down into the cushion. "I promise not to fail you master, I swear."

There was no reply, but Quirrell shivered nevertheless, reflecting with no small measure of desperation about how urgently he needed to figure out his way past the dog – not to mention whatever else the teacher's might have lying in wait.

OOO

Once the day of the tournament finally arrived, it relieved Harry to see that Dumbledore was attending the match; even Snape would be hard pressed to try something with the headmaster looking on. However, it reassured him even more to see a solid block of friendly faces wearing yellow and red, with even a green mixed in, looking worried but resolute.

Harry waved to them from the field as Wood lead the team out to assume their starting positions. Despite the grim looks on their faces, Draco managed to give him a wink and Harry nodded, feeling slightly more at ease. He was a bit worried, not merely about Snape but also about the fact that Ron and Pansy were sitting nearby, haughty looks on their faces, gesturing towards Harry and – Harry guessed – making snide remarks.

The moment he took to the air, however, every other concern disappeared. It didn't matter that Snape was watching the match. It didn't matter that the Sorcerer's Stone was at risk. It didn't matter that, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ron's red head pushing towards his friends. All the sounds were distant – the cheers from the stands, the commentary streaming from Lee Jordan, the thumps of the Weasley twins hitting the bludgers. His ears were filled with the white noise of the air rushing around him.

All that existed was his vision, scanning the earth and air for any flash of gold. It wasn't long before he caught a glimpse of the Snitch he sought. Diggory noticed from across the field and was urging his broomstick forward, but it was too little too late. Harry sent his Nimbus into a plunge that brought the crowd to its feet and elicited a collective gasp.

Flying past Snape with a whoop, he lifted the Snitch in triumph as a full-fledged fight broke out in the stands.

Gryffindors were spilling onto the field and Snape's face looked as though he wanted to vomit. Harry couldn't resist casting a triumphant grin towards the Potions Master before he was distracted by his teammates leaping on him, slapping his back and screaming.

"Harry!" George screamed as he and Fred hoisted the Seeker. "Bloody good show!"

"I'll say!" Fred balanced him on their shoulders. "Didn't even give Snape a chance to bring us down!"

People were waving flags and cheering, adding to the crowd that was rapidly forming around the team. Even the Ravenclaws and, despite some hesitation due to their loss, the Hufflepuffs joined in the celebration.

"Wonderful Harry!" He hear Hermione's voice about the crowd and saw her standing a short distance away next to Nott, who was sporting a cracked lip and had a nasty blotch on his cheek.

Draco too came rushing out of the stands. However, he didn't immediately move towards Harry as Nott and Hermione did. Instead, he made his way through the crowd to where the Hufflepuff team was trailing off the field and caught Cedric by the arm.

"Hey."

"Oh, hey Draco." Cedric gave him a rueful smile. "Sorry we didn't provide much entertainment today. Over a bit quickly."

"I just wanted to tell you, good job." Draco smiled at him. "Harry happened to be closer when he saw the Snitch. And he was in overdrive anyway – nerves over Snape being the ref you know. They wanted it to end early before he got the chance to bury them under penalties. It's not the best situation; but I wanted to let you know that I still think you're a brilliant Seeker."

"Thanks Draco," Cedric clapped him on the shoulder. "It means a lot." He nodded towards the crowd. "Now you'd better hurry if you want to get a chance to congratulate your friend. I need to go get washed up."

"I'll see you later then, in the common room," Draco backed away and waved.

"Later," Cedric replied with a nod as he joined the team in the locker room.

Draco then joined the crowd that was thronged around the Gryffindor team, casting a brief glance up towards the window where he knew Sirius would be watching. When they saw Draco approach, the Weasley twins dropped Harry off of their shoulders and they reached pull Draco closer to them.

"Did you see that dive?" Fred grinned as Draco nodded enthusiastically.

"Forget the dive – did you see the way he laid our brother out?"

"Oh, so that was you that did that?"

"Neville helped," Draco admitted.

"You're going to have to tell us everything," Fred grinned as Draco high-fived and chest bumped Harry.

"I want to hear it too," Harry added. "I noticed there was a scuffle but didn't see what went on."

"Yeah, you were too busy beating us," Draco replied, the grin still plastered on his face.

"Pretty much. I'll join you in a bit – I need to get my broom back."

"Take your time," Fred replied. "We'll get the house elves to bring some dinner back to the common room for you. Once you get back, you won't get a moment's peace all night long, trust me. So go ahead and take a moment for yourself; it's probably the only quiet you'll get all evening."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry smiled, heading for the locker room to be alone with his thoughts.

When he emerged some time later, the field was already empty, save for bits of refuse left there from the impromptu celebration. He started for the broomshed, still exulting in his victory over both Hufflepuff and Slytherin, when he noticed a very familiar figure swooping down the castle steps and heading for the forest.

"Snape," Harry breathed and jumped back onto his broomstick, following quietly at a distance, listening carefully as he skimmed the tops of the trees for any indication about what Snape was doing beneath the dense canopy.

What he heard sent him shooting back to the common room with a tale of his own to tell.

OOO

"Gryffindor?" Lucius Malfoy repeated slowly. "You're sure?"

"So Pansy Parkinson told her father – who was kind enough to tell me. I haven't had any communiqué from my son for months, not that I considered that strange. Theodore is a quiet boy, to say the least. However, this report troubled me deeply. I was wondering if your son had said anything to you."

"Not specifically," Narcissa replied, watching the elder Nott carefully, as one might a viper. "But he does mingle with Gryffindors like the Potter child."

"And this does not worry you?" Nott quirked an eyebrow.

"What our son does is our concern," Lucius replied icily. "Suffice it to say that if we thought his social circle was putting him in any peril, we would intervene."

"I wonder if you are aware of how much peril he's in," Nott snapped. "He's a Hufflepuff consorting with a Potter and other Gryffindors, failing in his academics if the rumors hold true, getting close to children like the Diggory boy and the Bones girl, eschewing company like the Smiths. The apple has fallen quite far from the tree, Lucius."

"I think you had better leave," Narcissa replied standing. "Limit your concern to your own child."

"By the time you show concern it may be too late. Times are changing, or so I hear."

"And yet perhaps not as much as one would think or hope," Lucius retorted. "I agree with my wife. Perhaps it would be best if you left. I trust you know the way out?"

"Very well." Nott stood with an affronted air. "And so I do. Pardon my interference; I merely meant to give you fair warning." He swept out of the room and down the hallway. However, before he left, he paused at the entrance of one of the many studies contained within the house. After a quick glance around, he entered into it, one of the trusted few who knew at least some of Lucius' hiding places thanks to their former spots in Voldemort's inner circle.

Moments later he left, a slim volume in his hand, and flooed back to his own home.

If he had been Sorted into Gryffindor, the boy was likely beyond his influence. However, there were other ways to make sure that the renegade child didn't interfere and damage his father's reputation. Whatever happened to the boy as a consequence – well, that was his own fault for siding with the wrong crowd.

Thoughts of guilt never even occurred to the widower.

OOO

A/N: Why yes, that is a twist at the end. :) Next time – Norbert, the forest and a few more twists and turns.


	37. Compounded Dilemmas

OOO

"Wait until you hear what I did to Ron!" Draco jumped up the moment Harry stepped into the common room of Gryffindor Tower.

"Never mind that," Harry replied in a low, urgent voice. "Snape's been up to something!"

"What?" Draco paused for a moment, taken aback. "What do you mean?" He whispered. "Up to what? Has he been going after the dog again?"

"Worse," Harry intoned gravely as Nott and Hermione came up and joined them. "I think he's leaning on Quirrell now to help him."

Dragging them off to one side, the common room thankfully empty by then save for Fred, George and Lee who were absorbed amongst themselves, Harry filled his friend in on what he'd heard flying over the forest.

"So he said he was waiting for his 'bit of hocus pocus' and Quirrell sounded really nervous," Harry finished.

"Of course he was." Draco frowned. "Snape's bloody terrifying when he wants to be and Quirrell's a bundle of nerves! I'd be surprised if Quirrell doesn't cave in under a fortnight. We need to tell Dumbledore."

"And tell him what?" Nott demanded. "What solid proof do we have? Quirrell would probably be too scared of Snape to corroborate the story. So it would be Harry's word against Snape's. Snape could argue that Harry is simply another whiny, petulant student, making up stories because he doesn't like his teacher."

"Well what will happen if we don't say anything?" Draco demanded. "You think its better that nobody try to stop him?"

"That's not what I said." Nott shot back. "I'm saying that we need to be smart about this. Don't forget – Dumbledore's a very strong wizard. There's no way even Snape would try anything with him around. I say we stick to what we're doing and wait."

"I agree with Nott," Hermione burst in. "Snape won't try anything with Dumbledore around."

"But what if he decides that even Dumbledore's not enough of a threat to him?"

"Have a little faith in the headmaster!" She protested. "He didn't get that position by doing nothing. He's got a very impressive list of accomplishments that Snape can't begin to equal, including the defeat of the worst continental dark wizard. So unless you're suggesting that Snape's got Voldemort secreted away in a potions ingredients closet or some such nonsense I wouldn't worry about it."

"You two sound awfully confident," Draco retorted. "But I still think Snape could get what he wanted through sneakiness. And as for Voldemort," he hissed the name, "do you lot really think his being behind this is impossible?"

"I'm not sure what to think of that," Nott replied coolly. "But what I know is this; telling Dumbledore now without any proof will come to no end and will tip our hand about what we know. Trust me – when have I ever mislead you? Just wait."

The other two boys paused a moment, then nodded, conceding.

"For now," Draco amended. "But if anything happens…"

"If anything happens, we'll deal with that situation without being hasty," Theo told them firmly then broke out in a smile. "But enough about the stone for now – you've told us your story Harry. Now we get to tell ours."

"Oh yeah… so what happened?"

"Well, Ron started in on Neville, gong on about the other day and then cutting into me and Susan and the rest of use. So Nott turns around and tells him off."

"And which point Pansy got in on the insult action," Nott continued. "She backs Ron up about Neville being an idiot, Hufflepuffs being dull and then adds on that Gryffindors are interfering gits."

"So we took a stab at her looks," Draco grinned though Hermione was glaring in a disapproving fashion.

"You shouldn't have done that," she reprimanded. "Girls can be sensitive."

"Pansy's got a heart of ice, though. She was asking for it," Draco insisted. "Anyway, getting back to what happened. As soon as we do that, Ron takes a swing at Theo and gets him in the mouth. I go down low and tackle his legs while Theo jumps his torso."

"After that it all got fairly confusing," Nott admitted. "Everybody just started to jump in and pummel whatever and whomever they could get their hands on that was wearing opposing house colors."

"Sounds brilliant," Harry grinned. "Almost wish I'd been there."

"'Cept you were too busy winning," Draco teased him with a light push and everybody, even Hermione, smiled.

"We're very proud of you Harry," Hermione told him. "Very proud."

"Thanks guys." He soaked in the moment for a while before a yawn finally parted his lips. "It's been a long day, though. I think I need to get to bed."

"We all should. It's past curfew for you," Hermione pointed towards Draco. "And exams are coming up; we should be getting sleep so that we'll be in top form for studying."

"Coming up!" Draco looked at her, incredulous. "Granger, the exams are about three months away!"

"Two and a half," she retorted.

"Still," Harry joined in protest. "That's ages from now!"

"Not to Nicholas Flamel," she shot back with a smirk.

Before Harry could interrupt about how they weren't Nicholas Flamel, Nott nodded in agreement.

"Hermione's right; you two are going to need all the studying you can get and we need to be sure we have everything down. We need to start going over notes, perhaps arranging study groups, schedule time for revising particular subjects – get things in order so that we'll all be well prepared when the time does arrive."

"You've gone spare," Draco rolled his eyes. "Both of you. You're smart enough you could both probably pass already; and Harry and I… we'll be just fine getting in what we can get done. Come on now – scheduling study time?"

""You're the lucky one," Harry added. "You can hide out in your dorm with Ernie and the other girls." He looked glum. "I however am probably going to get shanghaied by these two into whatever crazy study plan they come up with."

"It's for your own benefit," Nott admonished as Draco slipped on his invisibility cloak, went up the tower to retrieve Dragon, and then exited through the portal. "The sooner we start the better."

"Nutters," Harry muttered, though not unkindly, under his breath.

"You'll be thanking us later," Hermione told him brusquely as she brushed past him on her way to the girl's quarters.

"I'll be thankful if I get a moment of free time," he shouted after he retreated back.

As he headed up with Nott, even the prospect of long hours spent pouring over books couldn't dampen the sense of elation that Harry felt. He'd finally done more than get credit for an act he couldn't even remember. He'd achieved something that his house could be proud of, fairly won his admiration for once.

That night, despite the conversation he'd overheard, Harry slept soundly, undisturbed by recurring images from the Mirror of Erised or any other nightmares that had been plaguing him. Next to him, Theodore was not quite so lucky.

However, tired out and sleeping soundly, Harry never heard.

OOO

The studying that Harry predicted turned out to be all that he feared it would and more. Theo and Hermione were voracious in their extra reading and insisted on making Harry listen to what they'd learned in his spare time. They made copious notes and compared them, making even more notes in the process and then dragging Harry with them to deserted parts of the common room or library to review said notes for hours on end.

Not even Draco proved safe from their studious mania; as it turned out, Susan was of a like mind with Hermione and Nott, and she managed to, with the help of the two Gryffindors, coerce the Hufflepuffs into study along with them.

"Nott and Hermione are at the top of the class," she insisted. "We can really learn from them! You want to improve our House's reputation and standing don't you?"

The rest could only reluctantly nod as they were forcibly ushered into the library for yet another marathon study session.

The only consolation that Draco and Harry had was that Quirrell, while bending (if his appearance was anything to go by) did not seem to break. Snape was his usual irascible self and they felt sure that if anything happened to the stone, there would be a major issue made of it. As small a consolation as it was, it was about the only positive during a springtime that neither could appreciate, buried as they were by work both from Hermione and Theo and from their teachers.

So it was that he and Harry found themselves sitting at one of the library's lengthy tables with the rest of their Hufflepuff and Gryffindor companions, stuck inside on what was otherwise a gorgeous, sunny afternoon.

"Dittany, dittany…" Harry thumbed through the pages of a book on plants and fungi. "Where's that stupid dittany entry…"

"Hagrid!" Draco suddenly burst out with such a yell that Madame Pince glared and Hannah, who was sitting next to him, jolted in alarm. "Hagrid, we haven't seen you in forever!" Draco leaped up and raced around to the other side of the shelf where Hagrid appeared to be looking at a book. The looming man quickly hid it away and gave Draco a small, tense smile.

"'Ere now," he grumbled. "I 'aven't seen you in an age, neither. What've yeh been up to?" He frowned. "Nothing about… _that_?"

"Well, we're a little bit worried about certain people trying to steal the Sto…"

"Shhhh!" Hagrid clamped a mammoth hand over Draco's mouth. "Don' be goin' about an' saying tha' ter ev'rybody!"

"Sorry," Draco whispered. "But we think that some people might be trying to slip past Fluffy and get to the… get to it." He amended hastily.

"Naw," Hagrid shook his head. "Not poss'ble."

"Nott figured it out," Draco replied. "That all you needed was a little music…"

"_Shhhhh!_" Hagrid shushed him a second time, more urgently than the first. "I told yeh – you shouln' be talkin' 'bout it here!" He shifted uncomfortably and backed away. "Ah need ter git going. I'll talk to you lot later."

With that, he beat a hasty retreat, still hiding the book from Draco's view. Draco, visibly crestfallen, sat back next to Hannah with a sigh.

"What was that about?" Ernie inquired with a glance and Draco shrugged.

"Just stuff. Haven't seen him in forever or been down to the cabin in ages."

"That's because you can't afford to," Nott replied, setting another book down in front of him. "Your transfigurations are still atrocious and your grasp of charm theory is weak. Not to mention your barely adequate potions mixing skills."

"It was like he didn't even want to talk to me," Draco went on, as if he hadn't heard Nott, before opening up his books again.

Hours later, after the rest of the Hufflepuffs had gone back to the dorms with only Draco lingering, kept there at Nott's insistence, the boy was still griping about the brush-off he'd been given. "I don't get it! We haven't talked in forever and he can't even hold a halfway decent conversation? Couldn't even be bothered to invite us by for tea sometime soon?"

"Do we _need_ an invitation?" Harry asked. "Can't we just stop by to visit him?"

"I guess; but why so standoffish?"

"It probably had something to do with the book he was holding," Nott replied, as if it were obvious. "Couldn't you see how he was hiding the cover from you?"

"Didn't notice," Draco admitted. "What do you think it was about?"

"Well, he got it from over here," Nott stood and walked to the shelves where Hagrid had been browsing. When he began scanning the titles, he frowned. "This can't be right."

"What is it?" Harry asked, walking over, soon joined by the others.

"These are all books on dragons," Theo observed. "Dragon identification, breeding, raising…"

"But all of that's illegal, isn't it?" Hermione inquired. "I'm fairly certain I've read that it's illegal."

"Of course it's illegal," Nott snapped. "Common sense should tell you that!"

"So if it's illegal, why's Hagrid so interested in it?" Harry stood next to him, running his fingers over the titles on the spines.

Theo looked over at Draco who was busy flipping through one of the volumes on dragon types, eyeing the pictures hungrily. "These are so cool," the silver-haired boy breathed. "What I wouldn't give to have one of these…"

"What Hagrid wouldn't give," Theo muttered.

"Theo? You don't think…" Hermione mused.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Theo sighed, picking up on her thought. "Those two are exactly alike," he said with a nod towards Draco. "A penchant for dangerous animals and forget the consequences."

"You think he might have a dragon?" Draco whispered, his eyes shining brightly. "Think he'll let us see it?"

"I suppose there's only one real way to find out." Theo went back to the table and gathered up his books. "I suppose we're about due for a break anyway."

The rest of them grinned, Draco most of all, and they made their way down to Hagrid's hut.

OOO

When Draco returned from the evening visit to Hagrid, he was in a surprisingly buoyant mood, Sirius thought. He gave a bark, as if to inquire what was going on. Draco, still grinning from ear to ear, leaned over and whispered to him.

"I'll tell you all about it, soon as we get outside."

The, draping his invisibility cloak over both of them, Draco lead Sirius out of the castle for their evening walk.

"Hagrid's got a dragon!" He whispered, making sure he was out of the earshot of any other late night wanderers. "Well, not exactly a dragon. I mean it's only an egg right now. But it's going to be a dragon – a Norwegian Ridgeback! Isn't that great? I'm going to get to be up close to a dragon!" He ruffled Sirius fur with enthusiasm.

Sirius, however, gave an uncertain bark. Draco frowned in reply and rolled his eyes.

"Oh don't be that way; you sound like Nott, getting all worked up about him getting caught or burning his hut down or something like that. Don't worry so much; I'm sure it will be fine. Besides," he flopped down on the grass. "It's a dragon!"

Which was, of course, precisely what worried Sirius. A dragon? What could Hagrid have been thinking? Forget his house; he'd be lucky if it didn't end up burning the whole forest down once it got bigger. He enjoyed getting up to mischief as much as, and likely more than, most anybody, but even Sirius was wondering if a dragon wasn't a bit too far.

Making sure the cloak would cover him, he transformed into his human shape.

"For once, I am with Nott," Sirius replied. "Has he thought about what a huge risk this is? He can't keep it hidden forever – what if he gets fired?' Draco looked crestfallen as Sirius' admonishment, but the man pressed on. "You must persuade him to give it up, Draco. It's for his own good. Besides, where did he even get such a thing?"

"Said he won it down in the village playing cards," Draco shrugged. "Probably somebody thought it'd be a good idea to have one as a pet but was too scared to keep it."

"Or too sensible. Dragons are highly illegal! This is not something to take lightly!"

"Draco sighed with impatience. "I know, I know. I've been hearing the same thing all night from Theo and Hermione."

"Well perhaps you should take their advice more seriously." Draco pouted and Sirius, looking on in sympathy, softened his tone and took a different tack. "Besides Draco – do you really think a Norwegian Ridgeback would be happy living with Hagrid? A dragon like that is at home in the mountains, not in England. It needs room to fly and hunt, not to be cooped up. It's not just for the sake of people that they're not supposed to be kept as pets. It's for the dragons own good too."

Draco was still frowning, but his shoulders gave a little shrug as he reconsidered. "I guess. I mean, that does make sense. I suppose. I still really want to see it hatch, though." His face twisted in longing and Sirius relented.

"Just try to persuade him to get rid of it not long after, before it gets too big to move."

"But where would we get rid of it anyway?" Draco wondered.

"I'm sure we'll think of something."

"If I ever get the time to think about anything but classes ever again," Draco groaned. "I told you how much Nott and Hermione and Susan are making us all study, right?"

"Every night for the last three weeks."

"It's driving me right up a wall!" He ran his fingers through his hair, exasperated. "I can't even think to myself anymore! All I keep thinking of is lessons and notes and facts and figures! They'll be sending me to the nut house before the year's out.

"Come now; I'm sure you're exaggerating, at least a little."

"No I'm not!" Draco glared at him. "You know what Theo's like! And the other two – they're cut from the same mold. Susan's not quite as bad, but still. If I have to listen through another lecture about the proper way to chop daisy roots, somebody's getting a potions manual to the face," he muttered.

"I suppose that as an adult I should encourage you to study hard," Sirius grinned. "But you're right; that does sound pretty miserable. You should use your cloak and the passages to get away more often."

"I should; I barely remember what peace and quiet feels like." He sighed. "And when we're not worrying about classes, the Stone's always on our minds."

"Oh? Did something else happen?"

"Remember how Harry overheard Snape leaning on Quirrell?" Sirius nodded. "Well, when we were talking to Hagrid today, he said we were wrong because Snape's helping to guard it. A bunch of teachers are, apparently – including Quirrell. So Nott and Hermione are thinking that Snape's got all of the other teachers traps figured out except for Quirell's and Fluffy."

"The dog?" Sirius smirked.

"Yeah. I know; the name makes me laugh too," Draco grinned. "But regardless – if Nott could figure it out, I'm sure Snape could too. He's clever, that one, much as I hate to admit it."

"Clever and sneaky and dark," Sirius agreed bitterly. "Don't trust him, Draco, not for a moment. And keep your eye on him. It might be smarter to wait for now, but you can bet he'll try something before too long."

"I almost wished he would." Draco stood, making sure the cloak still covered Sirius. "At least then we might get a little excitement, something to distract us from reviewing all the time. Come on, we'd better get back."

As they headed back to the castle, Sirius twisted his head and glanced briefly at Hagrid's cabin. Even though the curtains were drawn, he could tell from the glowing red edging the glass and the smoke pouring out of the chimney that the groundskeeper was stoking a fire far too hot for anything normal.

He was sure in his heart it would lead to trouble, probably – inevitably – involving Draco. He could only hope it wouldn't be too much.

OOO

A/N: So we're almost to Norbert. More on that the next time along with lots of other crazy escapades and more of Sirius as well as other characters like Ginny and the rest. :)


	38. Clever When He Needs to Be

OOO

When Hedwig finally brought Harry the news that the dragon was hatching, despite his inherent excitement, Nott and Hermione kept him from running off to tell Draco about it.

"If you tell him, he'll want to go the moment he knows. There'll be no taking him out of skipping lessons," Hermione reasoned.

"And he's lax enough about those as it is," Theo added.

"But if he misses it he's going to be furious…"

"That doesn't matter. Besides, we can't do anything too suspicious or people will find out." Nott leaned in. "Now keep it down – no more talking about it. Pansy's looking this way; we don't want her to overhear."

Harry nodded and crammed the note into his pocket.

"But we tell Draco as soon as we can, OK?"

"End of Herbology. Promise." Nott gathered up his books.

"He'll be in that class so it'll be no problem to go right down afterwards," Hermione observed.

As predicted, the moment they informed Draco his eyes lit up as though he'd just been told he'd gotten 'O's in all his O.W.L.s. He barely wanted to wait and pack up his supplies before running off towards the cabin.

"So you got the note this morning at breakfast?" He asked Harry who nodded a confirmation. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Nott and Hermione didn't want you skipping classes to go see it hatch."

"It would look suspicious!" Nott snapped defensively when Draco gave him a glare and Hermione backed him up with a nod.

"Well hurry up then." Draco slung his bag onto his shoulder. "If we haven't missed it already we will for sure if we dawdle around here."

He took off at a run with Harry, Hermione and Theo following behind. They were all greeted by Hagrid who, if it were possible, looked even more excited than Draco at the prospect.

"He's almos' out!" Hagrid pulled them in and gestured towards the table.

The shell was spider-webbed with cracks and a clicking noise was coming from inside the egg. Draco pulled up first and the rest going him, watching it studious. Then, with a sudden crackle, the egg burst apart and the dragon emerged, dark as night with flaming eyes and spindly wings. It gave a fiery sneeze and Hagrid smiled.

"He's a beauty, isn't he?"

"No," Draco replied and drew curious looks. "Not 'he'," Draco explained. "This dragon's female. But I do think she is very beautiful." He smiled down at the dragon and stroked her head. The dragon twisted her head around, looked at Draco and then licked his finger.

"Awww," Hagrid cooed. "Isn't that cute?"

"Better watch she doesn't bite your finger off," Nott laughed. The dragon's head swiveled at the sound of his voice and shot a tiny stream of flame towards Theo, who flushed indignantly. "Well fine then!" He huffed.

The others, though not mesmerized to the extent Draco was, did find the dragon diverting. They fed the tiny beast blood in cups and took turns giving her nervous pets. She snapped a few times at everyone, including Hagrid, save for Draco who seemed to know exactly where to stroke to make the little dragon give weird growls that they could only assume were of satisfaction.

"Th' only problem now is what ter name her." Hagrid gathered her into a massive hand.

"You didn't think up a name?" Harry looked at the dragon's deep orange eyes. "I'd have thought you'd have one picked out ages in advance."

"I did – but fer a boy. Norbert was gonna be his name."

"Well, there's always Norberta," Hermione suggested. "If you're really set on that name."

"And if you're completely unoriginal," Nott interjected. "What about Fafnir? From the Volsunga saga? That's a good Norse name for a Norwegian Ridgeback."

"And still a boy's name," Draco protested. "How about Gróa if you want something from Norse myth?" He looked towards the dragon. "Do you like that girl? Gróa?"

She gave a little yap and jumped from Hagrid's hand to Draco's shoulder, prompting him to laugh.

Theodore smiled. "Sometimes, Draco, you do surprise me." They looked towards Hagrid. "Does that sound good to you?"

For a moment he looked hesitant. "'S a bit much fer me," he protested, then shrugged. "But she seems to cotton to it."

"Gróa it is, then," Draco smiled and rubbed her head.

They stayed until the end of their break, watching the dragon walk around and struggle to fly. However, even though he enjoyed getting a chance to finally see a dragon up close and personal – albeit a baby dragon – Draco couldn't shake the thoughts of what Sirius had told him. The dragon was going to start growing and, much as he hated to admit it, Hogwarts was no place for a dragon to grow up. Just hatching it alone and raising it in a hut had probably already damaged her chances to survive in the wild.

Despite his longing to keep her around until she was full sized, Draco reluctantly pointed out to Hagrid what Sirius had pointed out to him. At first Hagrid remained unconvinced. However, even he eventually started to come around, though he grew teary-eyed every time he thought about letting her go.

"She's too little! She'll die in the wild!"

At first Draco had no reply to this. And as she curled around Draco's leg, he had to admit that he wasn't fond of the idea of letting her go either. However, as he wracked his brain over what to do, a solution occurred to him.

"I know!" He snapped his fingers. "Ginny Weasley told me once that her brother Charlie worked on a dragon reservation in Romania! I'll bet we could work something out with him!"

It took all of his and Theo's skills to convince him, but eventually Hagrid acquiesced to their request and Draco sent Artemis off to contact Charlie.

A week later, Draco joined the small group of Gryffindors in their common room; Nott kept him informed of the password changes so that they wouldn't have to coordinate meeting places outside in the halls.

"Hey," He grinned.

"What's up?" Harry looked away from the homework he'd been struggling to finish.

"Just got back from Hagrid's." Draco beamed. "She's getting big, eating tons of dead rats now. Not the one rat I wish she could – but that's neither here nor there." He held up a parchment. "We got a reply from Charlie."

"Really?" Hermione sighed in relief. "That's good. Bring it over. What's he say?"

"That it won't be easy but he thinks we can do it. He's got friends coming through the area and if we take Gróa to the top of the tallest tower, we should be able to rendezvous with them. It'll have to be around midnight though. So that it'll be dark for most of their journey. They can't be seen with an illegal creature like that, you know."

"I think we can manage the drop-off," Nott nodded. "We'll have two invisibility cloaks just in case. More than enough to make sure that the box is covered."

For the moment, all seemed well. However, that changed on Friday night.

"Hate to interrupt you lot," Fred came over in the middle of one of their study sessions in the common room with Draco, "But I think you may have a problem."

"Problem?" Nott could feel his heart sinking. "What about?"

"The dragon," George whispered.

"You know about that?" A look of horror crossed Hermione's face.

"Ginny told us that Charlie was picking it up," Fred replied.

"I'll be I know who told Ginny," Not hissed at Draco.

"She's a friend!" Draco crossed his arms. "And she's not even at Hogwarts! I didn't think it would do any harm!"

"That's not the worst of it," George went on. "She said it in a general letter from home. We weren't paying attention…"

"Lee was going on at the time about something there was breakfast, both a bit distracted…"

"But Ron recognized the owl and snuck up behind us to see what the letter said." George grimaced.

"We think he knows the details." Fred told them with an apologetic look. "The smug grin he had on, no way he didn't."

"He knows?" Hermione moaned in disbelief. "We'll have to call it off!"

"We can't," Harry shook his head. "There's no time and she'll be too big to smuggle out if we wait any longer."

"Well then what do you suggest we do?" Hermione looked at him askance. "We'll get caught, we'll be playing right into his hands…"

"He doesn't know about the invisibility cloaks, though," Theo pointed out. "That would be to our advantage."

"And I can bring along Dragon," Draco offered. "He can let us know if anybody's nearby, give us advanced warning."

"Besides, we can be smart about this." Harry looked at them. "We only need two people to carry the crate. The fewer of us there are the better."

"Not to put off responsibility or anything," Nott spoke up, "But I think it should be you and Draco. You two are the ones actually in possession of the cloaks – not to mention Dragon – and you're probably able to life more than I or Hermione could. I'd say one of you two," he nodded towards Fred and George, "But you might be a bit tall for the cloaks to cover you and the crate. Besides, Gróa behaves for Draco more so than anybody else and since she hasn't even met you two, she might get skittish."

"Makes sense." Hermione sighed. "It's what we'll have to do, I suppose, and wish for the best."

"Sorry you lot," George frowned. "Ron's a git, I know."

"Not our fault – we certainly didn't raise him that way."

"And if there's anything we can do to keep you lot out of trouble, let us know."

"Best of luck," they wished in unison before rejoining Lee in another corner of the common room.

"We're certainly going to need it," Theo sighed.

OOO

That evening, Harry and Draco, with Sirius padding along at his feet, made their way down to the cabin where Hagrid was saying his tearful goodbyes.

"Don' ferget your Mommy!" He wept. "You're my little darling, remember that! An' don't let the other dragons pick on you! And don' go out with just any boy dragons when yeh get older!"

"Hagrid!" Harry muttered. "This is hardly the time for the draconic version of 'the talk!'"

Hagrid was barley listening, however; he was too busy blowing his nose in between trying to bundle Gróa in to the crate along with blankets, rats, brandy and a pink plush teddy bear.

"Good-bye, my little sugar plum," He waved to the crate after he'd nailed it shut.

"Bye Hagrid," Harry waved.

"We'll give her one last good-bye on the tower from you," Draco promised.

Using a path they had charted out on the Marauder's Map, they slowly made their way to the top of the astronomy tower, Sirius nudging encouragement each slow step of the way. Once they'd got to the top, both breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought we'd never make it," Harry panted.

"We'll it's not over yet. Still have to make it back."

Charlie's friends soon came into view and they were soon helping the two boys move the crate into a harness. Draco said the promised goodbyes and Gróa scratched the side of the crate, moaning in a way that seemed to indicate an awareness of what was happening.

"Don't worry," Draco shushed. "We'll see you again someday."

Then the four took off into the night sky, carrying the dragon away with them.

Relieve, Draco draped the cloak and headed down with Sirius, hearing Harry's footsteps right behind. Suddenly, Sirius gave out a low growl and Draco could hear voices a second later.

"They've got a dragon, I swear it! I saw a letter!" Ron's voice came from down the hall in shrill protest.

"What nonsense!" Thundered McGonagall. "Out of bed at this time of night!"

Panicked, Draco turned around to motion Harry to be quiet and saw, to his horror, that Harry was visible. Realizing that Harry must have forgotten to put his cloak back on and left it at the top of the tower, Draco froze for a moment before whipping his own cloak off his shoulders and draping it over Harry.

"Run quietly," he whispered. "Retrieve yours, don't worry about me."

He'd just pushed Harry up the stairwell and rejoined Sirius when McGonagall and Ron came around the corner. Sirius started barking at Rom furiously, making McGonagall wince but also covering up any sounds Harry might be making.

"Mr. Malfoy!" She glared. "Out of bed too!"

"See?" Ron pointed an accusing finger. "He's got a dragon – or he had one, probably just gotten rid of it – him and probably Potter and the rest of their lot too." He snapped. "Where are the rest of them?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie!" Ron shouted. "I saw the letter! You had a dragon that you were going to bring to the top of the tower tonight!"

Looking at McGonagall, Draco did his best to force a laugh, relieved that Ron had only picked up on some of the information.

"I'm afraid that's a bit of a misunderstanding. You see," he patted his chest, indicated that Sirius should leap up on it, "my dog is named Dragon." He lifted the tag into the torchlight. "Right there. And yes, I was planning to bring him to the top of the tower tonight. Dragon and I like to get fresh air and we usually go out for a stroll. Tonight was just later because I wanted to wait until midnight to look at some particular star formations this evening."

Ron was gritting his teeth so hard that Draco swore he could hear them scraping. McGonagall, however, seemed satisfied with the explanation.

"A dog named Dragon," she sniffed. "And you, Mr. Weasley, acting like the school was going to burn down or some nonsense like that."

Thoroughly thwarted, Ron looked off to the side in anger.

"It's detention for both of you," she went on, "And fifty points will be taken from both your houses."

Inwardly, Draco couldn't help but feel pleased that Ron had gotten into the same boat with him. Of course, he was upset that he'd lost points for his house. But at least Harry had gotten away, he assumed.

As they walked off for McGonagall, trying not to look at each other, they heard one last comment.

"You know, together with Ms. Parkinson being out of bed attempting to retrieve you, Mr. Weasley, this makes it a very bad night for Slytherin indeed."

The comment brightened Draco up considerable and, despite his detention, he went back to the Hufflepuff dorm with an aura of good cheer. So optimistic and satisfied, in fact, that he didn't notice the glance Sirius cast down a particular hallway. Rather than explore why he paused, he just snapped his fingers.

"Come on," he whispered. "Catch up boy. We need to get back."

Sirius, however, made a mental note to speak to Draco about what he'd picked up with his nose the next opportunity he got.

The odor was faint, but he could have sworn he'd gotten a whiff of Peter's rat scent.

OOO

When Harry finally stumbled through the common room door, both cloaks in hand, he was greeted by Nott, as expected, but also, oddly enough, Neville, who shyly waved at him.

"Harry!" Nott leaped up. "You're back! How did it go?" He looked down at Harry's arms. "And why do you have both cloaks?"

"Let me catch my breath," Harry panted. "Practically sprinted all the way back."

"I can see that. What happened?"

Harry swallowed a breath of air then began his story. "And so it was all going pretty well until we heard McGonagall and Ron insisting to her that we had a dragon. Draco turned and we realized I didn't have my cloak on, so Draco threw his on me and told me to grab mine and get back. Meanwhile, Dragon started barking and Draco was telling her Ron got confused – Dragon's his dog, not an actual dragon."

Nott smirked. "He does have a pinch of cleverness about him when he needs to."

"I vamoosed after that. But I'm sure Draco got detention for being out of bed," Harry muttered miserably.

"Well that's his own fault. He could have covered you both with the cloak."

"Yeah, but this way, McGonagall won't look more closely into the dragon story," Harry pointed out.

"True." Nott sighed. "Well there's nothing to be done about it now. One the bright side, I'm sure Ron got one as well. And see?" He looked towards Neville. "I told you Harry would be just fine."

"But Draco wasn't." Neville shuffled his feet. "I should have gone."

"No!" Nott insisted. "Then you probably would have gotten into trouble yourself." He looked back at Harry, whose expression was asking for an explanation. "I was waiting up for you, doing a little reading, when Neville here comes down the stairs. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was going to warn you that Ron was looking for you."

"Nott said you guys already knew," Neville spoke up. "That the twins told you."

"They did," Harry replied. "We knew Ron would be out tonight; we were on our guard."

"And that's what I told him. That going out would probably do more harm than good. I managed to talk him out of it and it's probably a good thing that I did. If McGonagall's been stalking the halls, she'd be certain to find you. No offense," he amended, seeing Neville's face fall, "But you don't have the advantage of an invisibility cloak. That, and we're a little bit better at sneaking, Harry and Draco and I. It's the touch of Slytherin we have in us," he smirked and got Neville to brighten up.

"I suppose I should return this to Draco." Harry lifted up the second cloak, giving it to Nott who folded it.

"Yes; but not now. We don't want to risk any other outings. I suggest we all get straight to bed and we'll work out everything else in the morning. Agreed?"

The other two nodded and the three headed up to the boy's side, sliding beneath their sheets, helped to sleep by their sheer exhaustion from staying up so late and, in Harry's case, from hauling the dragon.

OOO

A/N: Last chapter was a bit slow, so I hope the sneaking around in this one will make up for part of that. The next chapter will be Draco's detention in the Forbidden Forest – even more thrills! Not to mention some likely developments on the Peter and Sirius fronts. I hope you enjoyed, I always appreciate feedback if you're so inclined, and I will have the next chapter up soon.


	39. Doing Something Stupid

OOO

The next morning, when Harry approached Draco apologetically after breakfast, Draco waved him away with a laugh and a grin.

"Don't worry about it," He shrugged. "It's alright. In fact, it's better than alright." He smirked and tossed his head back. "I'm a celebrity of sorts now, just like you."

"What?" Harry looked at him in shock. "But for what? I mean, aren't your housemates mad that you lost them fifty points?"

"Which I simultaneously made up for by luring two Slytherins out of bed and losing _their_ house one hundred points. It's just the icing on the cake that Ron and Pansy happened to be the two McGonagall caught."

Harry joined in his smile while Nott simply shook his head and Hermione frowned.

"You still shouldn't be happy about something like that!" She chided. "And you probably got a detention, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but so what?" He laughed. "As far as Hufflepuff's concerned, my efforts have effectively torpedoed any chance Slytherin had of catching up to Gryffindor. Even if they win all their remaining Quidditch matches, they can't make up the deficit. A bunch of Gryffindors would have to do something incredibly stupid – and yes Harry, I'm looking at you – to lose enough points to set them that far back."

"Well, I can't say I approve of your method," Nott glanced at him. "But I am glad that Slytherin won't be winning the cup. You said Ron and Pansy?" Draco nodded. "I understand why Ron was out and about, trying to hunt you down, but why was Pansy wandering the halls?"

"She wanted to convince Ron to come back before he got caught and into trouble."

"Well isn't that a familiar story," Nott said with a knowing look at Harry. "Neville almost did the same thing," he explained to Draco and Hermione who were looking confused. "He came down to the common room while I was waiting up for Harry. It took a fair bit of convincing, but I managed to assure him that you two knew what you were about and wouldn't get into any trouble.

"He still feels a bit guilty about you getting caught, though," he nodded towards Draco. "You might want to go over to him and let him know that everything worked out for the best or else he'll be beating himself up about it all day. Oh! And Harry gave me your cloak. Well return it to you during the morning break, if that's alright? No sense in letting everybody in the Great Hall know you have one."

"Can do. I'll go catch up with Neville and meet you there later," Draco gave a wave to his companions before moving towards the stout Gryffindor still seated at the breakfast table.

OOO

On the other side of the hall, the Slytherins in question were staring at their breakfast, each feeling angry, upset and alone. None of their classmates wanted anything to do with them and each was incensed with the other.

"If you had just stayed in the common room," Ron snapped while stirring his oatmeal, "then you wouldn't have made it worse!"

"If you hadn't gone out in the first place, neither of us would have been in trouble," she retorted. "I told you he had a dog with that name, but _no_ – you wouldn't listen. Now see where it got you!"

"But I was so sure!" He muttered. "I mean, everything seemed to add up!"

"Only in your imagination Ron." She stood in a huff and grabbed her school bag but paused. "Maybe I was wrong to hang out with you," she said haughtily. "Maybe you are only as good as the trash you came from." Then she stomped out without turning to give him a second glance.

Furious, it was all Ron could do to keep from upturning his bowl onto the table. Hearing such sentiments from her cut more than he wanted to admit. What made it worse was, given his propensity to screw up, he wasn't sure that she wasn't right.

OOO

By the time Harry and Theo made their way down to the lake, Draco was already waiting for them, with Dragon by his side.

"Draco!" Theo looked at the dog as he handed over the cloak. "What did we agree about him walking about like this? You don't want to risk Peter seeing him, do you?"

"I know, I know," Draco dropped his voice to a whisper. "But Sirius was acting strangely the other night and he keeps pawing and barking at me. He couldn't change because we didn't have the cloak, but he wanted to come with and it seemed really important." Glancing around to make sure they were alone and nobody was watching, Draco draped the cloak over the animal.

"Boys," came Sirius' voice from the empty air, "I wouldn't have done this normally – but it's urgent. Peter is inside the castle; I caught his scent last night when we were walking back."

"_What?_" Nott's brow furrowed. "But that's impossible! We've been checking the map regularly, we would have seen if he was staying anywhere on the map."

"Not if he were in an Unplottable room," Sirius countered. "His scent vanished suddenly, right at a wall. It had to be a room of some kind."

Theo frowned. "I hadn't thought of that. But how many such rooms could there be in Hogwarts? Not even Dumbledore's room is Unplottable."

"All I can tell you is that his trail ends somewhere on the seventh floor. After that, I don't know – he's not anywhere James and I ever found or we would have put it on the Map."

"Well then," Nott sighed. "Obviously there's some mechanism to make the room appear. We just don't know what it is. And unless we figure it out, chances are that we're in the same position we were before."

"Somebody has to know how to get into the room," Harry pointed out.

"Oh I'm sure they do – Peter and probably who ever helped him get in. If you couldn't figure it out," Nott murmured to Sirius, "I'm sure he wasn't clever enough to on his own. Somebody told him; I'm betting Snape."

"He would have had more than enough time to explore the intricacies of the school," Sirius conceded. "All the time he's been working here. I wouldn't be shocked if the git knew even more than we did."

"Well I don't expect either of them will be too eager to give up the secret," Draco sighed. "So what do we do?"

"Give me a little time," Nott suggested. "I'll look through _Hogwarts, A History_ and any other books to see if they mention an Unplottable room off a seventh floor corridor. Plus I'll see if there's any way to detect rooms like that. I'm sure I'll come up with something."

"The sooner the better," Draco interjected vehemently. "The quicker we can get in there, the sooner we can ambush Peter and finally give that little rat exactly what's coming to him."

"I'm not so sure I'd go that far," Nott warned. "Snape could be in there too – we might be in a lot of danger."

"It would be at least three or four against two, though," Draco pointed out. "And besides, you're a Gryffindor – aren't you lot supposed to be the brave ones? Isn't fighting when you're outmatched right up your alley?"

"No, it's stupid," Nott rolled his eyes. "Bravery without sense is idiocy. We should take time to prepare first – maybe use the cloaks to confuse them. Although," he considered, "I don't suppose Peter would have a wand yet – no way to get one, his old one's probably long gone. So that would even the odds a bit as well.

"Let me figure out how to get into it first and then we'll make a plan of attack. Agreed?"

"Sounds good to me," Harry consented.

"I'm in," Sirius replied. "Anything to catch Peter."

"Even if it means holding back?" Nott crossed his arms.

"Even that," Sirius sighed reluctantly.

"And you know I'm in," Draco confirmed with a nod. "Do that research as quickly as you can. Harry and I can help too. And your name will be cleared before you know it," he winked in Sirius' direction.

With that, Sirius transformed back but kept the cloak over his body as they each returned to the common rooms before heading off to lunch and afternoon classes. Draco was so excited he found that he could barely concentrate. After so long, it was thrilling to pick up Peter's trail again and this time there would be no near misses.

OOO

Despite all of their enthusiasm and good intentions, and even despite Hermione helping them search, days passed and they failed to find any mention or evidence that there even was such a room, to say nothing of how to get into it.

"This is impossible," Harry moaned. "You don't think he could have been mistaken?"

"His nose is never mistaken," Draco shot back. "Peter was there, he had to be." He pressed his wand to the map and scanned it again, as if looking for the millionth time would make the room suddenly appear. "Where are you!" He gritted his teeth in frustration. "It's just one stupid room, it shouldn't be that hard to find!"

"We could just walk around there and hope it pops up," Harry intoned sarcastically.

"Oh very funny." Draco closed the book he was paging through with a slam that drew a glare from Madame Pince. After mouthing an apology, he replaced the book on the shelf and began gathering his school supplies.

"Where are you headed?" Nott looked up from his volume. "I didn't think you had any more homework for tonight and it's not quite curfew yet."

"Detention. Remember?" He sighed. "Which I will be, unfortunately, serving with Ron and Pansy."

"Bummer," Harry sympathized.

"Tell me about it. I won't get a moment's peace the whole time," he groaned. "Got a note a breakfast – we'll be meeting Filch which makes it even worse. I'll be he's got something really nasty cooked up for us."

"Take heart," Nott smirked. "Out and out torture isn't permitted anymore, much to his disappointment I'm sure, so whatever you're getting at least it won't be the rack."

"Aren't we all a barrel of laughs tonight," Draco rolled his eyes. "Anyway. I need to go back to my common room and then to serve the detention. See you tomorrow."

They waved goodbye and went back to their reading, yet it was just as fruitless as it had been before and after another half-hour they were both ready to turn in. As they were walking along, however, Nott suddenly snapped his fingers and gasped.

"I've got an idea!"

"What? What is it?"

"We need to find the kitchens," Nott insisted, taking a flight of stairs down.

"How's food going to help?" Harry followed after at a quick pace.

"Not food. What works in the kitchen." Nott turned and grinned at him. "House elves."

"House elves? Like Dobby and Kreacher? They have them at Hogwarts?" Harry looked mildly surprised.

"Of course they do. Who do you think does the beds? And all the food?"

"I don't know – magic?"

"Not quite. Not for that. There are house elves running about all over the place, even if we never see them. And I'll bet that they know the ins and outs of this place better than anybody. If there's someone besides Snape or Peter who knows about this place, I'm betting it's them."

Reaching the painting that marked the entrance to the kitchens, Nott frantically tickled the pear and bounded into the room the moment the frame swung aside.

"Listen!" He called out and suddenly hundreds of pairs of bulging eyes fixed on him and Harry. "Harry and I need your help – please. We need to know if there's an Unplottable room on the seventh floor and how to get into it!"

"Harry?" One of the house elves said in a high pitched voice. "You mean, Harry Potter?"

Theo nodded and after that, things went a bit berserk. In between assuring them that it was Harry Potter, showing them the scar and trying to decline all of the food that was been foisted upon them by the eager elves, Nott managed to gather the information about the room.

"So it's the Room of Requirement?" Several of the elves nodded. "And if you walk past it a few times concentrating on what you need, the room will appear for you?"

"Yes, Misters Nott and Potter, sirs," one assured them with a bow.

"Well then," he grinned as he pushed away a plate of ham, "I think we're set!"

"Thank you all so much," Harry added as they left. When they were out in the hall, he turned to Nott with a smug look. "So all you really _do_ have to do is walk around and hope for it to appear."

"Lucky guess," Theo rolled his eyes.

"Point is, what do we do now? I'm guessing you want to play it safe?"

"Actually…" Theodore swallowed. "Actually I think I'm in the mood for doing something stupid."

Harry looked at him like Nott had just told him he was blowing off finals. "_What?_ Are you kidding me? What about all those lectures you gave to Draco? What about all your plans to hold off?"

"I know, I know. It's just… now that we know… I _have_ to find out. I have to see if that little blighter is there." He shook his head. "What they're both doing is despicable and the longer we wait, the more time we give them to act. Besides, we only have two cloaks. If we try to fit three people in, one or two will be at a disadvantage."

"Yeah, but Draco's cloak is in his room. Couldn't bring it tonight, remember?"

"So what?" Theo pointed down the hall. "The Hufflepuff dormitory is right down there and Draco gave me his password when I gave him ours. We can pop in there and get it."

"And explain it to his classmates how exactly?"

"If anybody asks, we'll say that he promised to lend us a book."

"Except that you're the one with the library stashed under your bed, not Draco."

"Fine then – a comic," Theo rolled his eyes. "Whatever. We'll come up with something. We need to do it soon though." He started down the hall. "And come to think of it, it might be best to leave Draco out of it. I know you and I don't like Peter any better than he does, but sometimes he worries me. Every now and again, he really seems to lose control."

"I guess," Harry shrugged, wondering what he himself would do when confronted with Peter, the man responsible for his parent's deaths. The moment had always seemed so distant, but now that it was upon them he felt apprehensive about how he would really react.

"Quickly now," Theo urged him on, having already reached the entrance himself. "Let's get going."

Despite the lateness of the hour, they were met with relatively little resistance; only Ernie and Justin were in the common room and they gave them small waves but didn't ask why they were there.

Upon reaching the dorm, they found Sirius asleep at the foot of Draco's bed. Kneeling down, Nott quickly withdrew the cloak and was about to leave with Harry when Sirius stood up and padded over to them.

"You can't come," Nott whispered. He started to walk away, but Sirius followed. "Look, this is too risky for you," he leaned over and hissed.

"I don't know – seems to me he ought to be there," Harry pointed out.

Nott looked from one to the other, and sighed.

"Alright then, but we have to go quietly."

As they reached the common room door, Hannah and Susan came through.

"Hey guys," Susan smiled. "Were you here to see Draco? Because he's got detention."

"We know," Nott nodded. "We were just checking on Dragon," he motioned to the dog. "And getting a book he said he'd lend us."

Susan nodded but didn't make any further comment. Hannah, however was brimming with news.

"And you'll never believe where he's doing detention!" She exclaimed. "I heard Filch laughing about it to his cat on our way back from the library."

"What? Where?" Behind them, Ernie stood up from his chair and walked over.

"The forbidden forest!" She gasped as Susan rolled her eyes.

"Hannah thinks that they're going to get killed or something going in there."

"Well they could! The way we heard Filch talking, you'd think he was hoping for it."

"Probably was."

"The forbidden forest?" Theo repeated. "Well Draco will be thrilled; he's been wanting to go in there from day one."

"Not from what I hear," Hannah added. "Rumor is that something killed a unicorn. That's why they're going in; to try and find it."

"What? A unicorn?" Theodore was at once confused and grave. "But those are hard – impossible even – to kill. Nothing normal could do that!"

"That's what I said," Hannah looked at Susan. "I wouldn't want that kind of a detention for anything."

Next to Nott and Harry, Sirius whined faintly and Nott realized that he wouldn't be spending the evening with them after all.

OOO

Since Ron and Pansy were angry at each other, and neither of them wanted to talk to Draco nor he to them, the trip down was silent except for Filch waxing sentimental about the glory days of student torture. Draco brightened considerably, however, when Hagrid finally came into sight, and even more when he realized they would be going inside the forest.

Ron and Pansy, however, did not share his sentiments.

"I'm a girl!" She wailed. "I can't go into a place like that!"

"Yeh'll go where you're told," Hagrid told her gruffly. "An' no backtalk. Girls can do just as well as boys and serve their detentions just the same – an' get expelled jes' the same if yeh don't do the work."

Despite her earlier annoyance, she attached herself to Ron and pushed him in front of her defensively. He didn't move or say anything, but grew sickeningly pale, as if he wished he were anywhere else but there.

"But what if we get attacked?" She protested as the group moved forward towards the edge of the forest.

"Me an' Fang are here; yeh'll be fine." he reassured her. She looked at him sourly, but followed close behind Ron. "Keep in min d- we're lookin' fer a wounded unicorn though. So stay close."

"I heard about that," Draco murmured. "That you found a dead one." Hagrid nodded gravely. "So are we hunting the unicorn or the creature that killed it?"

"Jes' the unicorn," Hagrid replied. "Don't want ter get into nothin' we can't handle."

They made slow progress along the earthen path and soon saw silver blood spattered on the nearby foliage. Ron heard Draco suck in a breath sharply and looked over at him; he was staring at the blood, quaking, as if he were furious.

"Right then," Hagrid spoke as they came to a fork. "We're gonna split in ter groups."

"I want to be with you!" Pansy declared immediately, deciding that Hagrid and his massive crossbow were more protection than Ron, Draco or both combined.

"Then you two get Fang," he nodded.

After a quick set of instructions to send up sparks if they found the unicorn or got into trouble, Draco, Ron and Fang went down one path while Hagrid and Pansy went another, wands at the ready. As he walked with the young Slytherin girl, Hagrid could see her looking as if she wanted to puke and nearly felt sorry for her.

All thoughts of her discomfort were driven from his mind, however, when a sudden motion in front of them distracted him. More concerned for her safety than comfort, Hagrid pushed her behind a tree and ready his bow, squinted at something ahead.

"What is it?" She whispered after several moments of agonizing silence.

"Dunno," he growled. "But it's gone now." He lowered the bow. "Summat wrong in here, though."

Surrounded by the dark forest and fearing for her safety, Pansy suddenly wished that she'd said something to Ron before they'd parted ways. If anything happened, she realized, she would regret not having done so.

As Hagrid began leading them forward again, there came another movement from a clearing ahead. Hagrid called out and into the moonlight stepped a creature that, until then, Pansy had only seen in books.

"Evenin' Ronan," he sighed in relief.

"And a good evening to you as well," Ronan grasped the hand that Hagrid proffered. "Though I might ask you why your crossbow was pointed at me."

"There's summat in here," Hagrid murmured. "Don't feel right." He gestured towards Pansy. "This is Pansy Parkinson. Hogwarts student." She peeked out from behind Hagrid's massive form and nodded to the centaur with just a hint of superciliousness. "Slytherin," Hagrid added as an afterthought.

"Greetings Pansy," Ronan nodded. "And how is your schooling coming long?"

"Well enough," Pansy ventured.

"Let us hope it _is_ enough," he cryptically replied, then stared at the sky. "Mars is bright tonight," he murmured. "Mars and… " He frowned. "Mars and the zenith star."

Pansy gave Hagrid a confused look; despite Hagrid's attempts to turn the conversation towards the subject of the unicorn, Ronan simply repeated his statements about the condition of the sky. Even when they were joined by a second centaur, Bane, they didn't procure any information and eventually Hagrid was forced to move on, bidding them both good night and sighing in frustration.

As they went deeper and deeper in, Pansy's thoughts strayed to Ron; angry as she had been and reluctant as she was to stay with him, she hoped that he was getting on alright with Draco.

OOO

A/N: So they're all finally in the forest. :) Get ready for the next chapter guys – it's going to be a big one. Lots of action, escapades, scrapes, excitement and danger – guaranteed. Coming soon to a website near you.


	40. Forward Into Darkness

OOO

Walking along the path with Ron, all of Draco's previous excitement about getting to see the forest up close and personal evaporated and his mind went back to the disquiet he'd felt the one time he'd conferred with Sirius and his friends inside the forest's boundaries. Now that same unease had returned full force, coupled with a powerful wave of nausea each time he saw silver-blue blood spatter.

When they'd started off together, Ron had considered messing Draco about; however, he was getting seriously creeped out himself and had become more concerned with making sure Fang stayed close to him than harassing his nemesis. He could swear the air was getting colder the further they went in and the shadows seemed to lengthen. He turned towards Draco, giving brief thought to speaking with the other boy, just to break the stifling silence. However, when he looked at Draco's face, the boy's grey eyes were glassy and his face wan, a sight almost as unsettling as the forest itself.

They went on in silence until Draco suddenly stopped.

"What's the matter?" Ron managed to croak in a whisper.

Draco, feeling light-headed and sick to his stomach, turned towards Ron and fixed him with a stare that Ron felt penetrated to his core with alarm.

"It's here," he murmured.

He moved forward towards what appeared to be a clearing, past a gnarled oak that had seen more than its share of years and of rot.

"Wait up!" Ron hissed. As he drew closer, he heard voices.

"I don't want to be here!" A high, hyperventilating voice came.

"You wouldn't have to be," came a growl interrupted by a slurp, "if you hadn't smashed the last of the supply in your clumsiness and then failed to kill this one cleanly. Now I have no choice but to come here to clean up after you."

There was another whimper as Ron stepped behind Draco and bit his lip fiercely to keep a gasp from escaping.

The unicorn was there, in the center of the clearing, it's legs splayed out at odd angles and its translucent flesh bruised and torn. Blood was spread in wide dripping arcs across the surrounding trunks and branches, as were strands of hair that had been ripped out in a struggle. Bending over the beast were two hooded figures, one filling phials with the blood still pouring from its neck, the other drinking from a gash in its side.

Bile rose at the back of Ron's throat and his legs felt like they were rubber; they were going to die, they needed to get out of there, there were monsters right in front of them and they should never have come. He started to back away then saw that, rather than joining him, Draco was stalking forward.

"Draco?" He ventured a whispered, his heart accelerating wildly as he did; all animosity was forgotten, overridden by fear and a pointed survival instinct. "Draco, we should leave!"

"You filth! You monsters!" Draco exclaimed in loud, accusatory tones. "Aberrations! Beasts!" His whole body was trembling with rage and he could feel the anger as if it were a potion working through his body, setting each and every nerve alight with sensation.

The figures turned towards him in unison, one a man with a pinched face, the other a hideous specter with blood smeared across its chest. Paralyzed for only a moment, Ron screamed and ran, Fang barking at his heels. Fumbling with his wand as he went, Ron sent up jet after jet of red sparks, and didn't even notice in his mad dash that Draco wasn't following.

"_ABOMINATIONS!_" Draco thundered, drawing his wand as the bloody figure suddenly flew at him.

There was a terrible splintering sound as the great oak that stood guard at the clearing's entrance came crashing to the earth, sending branches and bits of wood flying in every direction. From behind him, Draco was barely able to discern the sound of hoofbeats and realized that there were hands on him, picking him up and pulling him away.

"No!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, wrestling and clawing to get free. "No! They killed her!" His voice was between fury and sobbing. "They killed her, the savages, she was innocent and they killed her, the monstrosities, _I'll destroy them_!" His voice reached a frenzied pitch and his chest heaved with ragged cries. Behind them came crashing sounds and mad wailing.

"Stay still!" A voice commanded and Draco, exhausted from his outburst, went limp in the creature's arms. Only then did he realize that he was being carried by a palomino centaur.

They burst into another clearing where Hagrid and Pansy were waiting. While Pansy fussed over Ron in her relief to see him again, the centaur gave Draco to Hagrid, drawing stares from both Bane and Ronan.

"What are you doing?" Bane snapped. "Carrying around humans like that! You should have minded your own business Firenze!" His tone carried a vicious sense of warning.

"This _is_ our business," Firenze retorted coldly. "Or have you not seen the stars?"

"I have seen enough to know not to interfere, not to set myself against their course!" He breathed. "You better not have said anything."

"You know what happened to that unicorn," Firenze shouted. "And you know what I am for and against. This boy…"

"You should have left him," Bane maintained.

Ronan looked at them both, as if unable to decide which to side with, but left with Bane when he turned. Suddenly, they heard a scurrying sound along the edge of the dirt path. Ron glanced over, looking mystified, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Scabbers?" He whispered.

"What?" Draco looked up, panting for breath and he leaned against Hagrid. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing," Ron replied nervously. "I just saw a rat that looked like one I let go in here. Didn't think he'd survive, if that was even him."

Draco's eyes widened and he took off at a run, leaving Pansy, Ron and Hagrid mystified. Hagrid gave chase and was soon followed by the two Slytherins, not wanting to be left alone, as well as Firenze.

"Not this time, not this time you sneak," he panted, scanning the ground as he ran. "I won't let you, not again…" He ran haphazardly, stopping and starting whenever he heard a rustle, with brambles snagging at his robes as he plunged into the underbrush. He could hear little noises every now and again and adjusted his course, hoping that he was right. Once he caught a glimpse of a pink-white tail slipping away.

Then suddenly he found himself at the tree line facing a field of grass, mapless and with no indications of where in the vast field Pettigrew might be.

"No!" Draco shouted as the others pulled up behind him. He suddenly felt another surge, as he'd felt upon seeing the unicorn. "NO!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs, falling to his knees and pounding the ground with his fists.

Again there came a massive crash of splintering wood; this time, however, it wasn't the trees and it was accompanied by the shriek of twisting metal. Pouring forth from one of Hogwarts' high towers were owls, hundreds of them, of every shape and species and size, suddenly free and descending upon the field in eerily silent droves.

Draco lifted his head to see them, talons outstretched, swooping down on the field below. A Great Horned Owl emerged with a writing rodent in its grasp that soon turned into a man as the dumbfounded students and gamekeeper looked on.

"It was Quirrell's fault!" The man shrieked. "He made me do it, I had to – he's harboring You-Know-Who!" He squealed as the owls flapped around him, nipping at him with their beaks and beating him with their wings.

"Quirrell?" Draco breathed, suddenly feeling an idiot. It had been him all along and he had to stop him; that had been him in the woods with Peter, drinking the blood – to stay alive he realized dimly.

"Peter Pettigrew?" Hagrid looked on, confused. "Yer dead…" He turned to Firenze and Pansy. "Get th' headmaster!" He ordered in a commanding tone that Pansy had never heard the gamekeeper's voice ever approach.

At the same time, Draco stood, trembling. He held his wand aloft; his hand was shaking badly as he was suddenly so thoroughly exhausted he could barely keep himself upright. Swallowing a deep breath that afforded him one brief moment of clarity, bindings sprang from the end of his wand, wrapping around Peter, before Draco fainted dead away into the grass, wanting to fight and find Quirrell but tired, so tired, he thought as he struggled, that darkness overtook him.

Hagrid lifted his body up carefully as Ron flanked the massive man, the red-head concentrating as if trying to figure out what was going on. The gamekeeper then walked over to the tied-up Pettigrew and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck as the owls continued to hover around.

"Yeh've got sommat to explain," Hagrid grumbled, his face twisted with the pain of betrayal.

"Quirrell," he blathered, "it was all him, from the beginning, he invited You-Know-Who in, I was too scared to do otherwise!" He looked downcast and twitched as Hagrid pulled him along.

OOO

Sirius was only a few hundred yards from the castle entrance when his sensitive ears picked up on screams that he knew to be Draco's. Fearing for the boy's life, he bounded along with increased speed until he distantly caught sight and scent of them, a long way off, at the edge of the forest.

That was when the owls descended.

For a moment, Sirius forgot his mad panic to get to Draco and stopped dead in his tracks to take in the spectacle. As he watched hundred of owls passed above him, filling the night sky. They dove; moments later, one caught something that rapidly changed shape, and Sirius caught a familiar, bitter scent on the chill night air.

Pettigrew.

Lying down in the grass, making himself as flat as he could, he perked his ears up for a moment. Pettigrew started ranting and running his mouth screaming about…

About Quirrell? Sirius's claws dug into the earth. That wasn't whom he was supposed to blame! Snape was the one – wasn't he? Was Quirrell simply a scapegoat because he was too afraid to name Snape? As Peter writhed as much as he could in Hagrid's grasp, he continued to blame the Defense professor and Sirius wondered if Peter would have enough presence of mind to blame another; besides, once they found out the truth (if the accused was innocent) blame would come down squarely on Peter.

He had to be telling the truth.

Sickened, Sirius thought back to Harry and Nott and what they might be finding. Seeing Hagrid carrying Draco's body, his first impulse was to run towards the boy. But then Peter would see him – and who knew how that might turn out for all of them? Grappling with whether or not to rejoin the young Malfoy, Sirius caught a sight that made his decision for him.

A shadow was slipping around the back of the castle. Sniffing deeply, he caught the tang of magical blood nearby and his mind started to accelerate. Quirrell was nearby, he'd heard them, he knew Peter was going to spill his secret the moment they brought the little rat to Dumbledore. Once Dumbledore knew the game was up.

His only option, Sirius realized, would be to make a move immediately and get the Stone while everybody was still sorting out the issue of Pettigrew's reappearance.

Moving quickly and staying to the shadows so that he wouldn't be seen, Sirius slipped back into the castle through one of the few tunnels that he as a dog could enter. Panting, he made his way up the various flights of stairs to the seventh floor, down to the tapestry of the ballet-dancing trolls. As he bounded down the hall, he nearly bowled over Harry who looked at him in surprise.

"What are you doing here?"

"We didn't find anything," Nott quickly added. "Nothing but broken bottles and food wrappers."

Sirius tugged on Harry's cloak with his teeth and Harry gave it to him. "Everything's gone wrong," the man blurted out. "It wasn't Snape. We misread, misunderstood. It's _Quirrell_."

"What?" Nott whispered, confused. "How do you know?"

"Peter got caught. That's why they weren't here, they were in the forest. They've been killing unicorns," Sirius swallowed. "Probably to keep Voldemort alive."

"I know unicorn's blood can save you from death; but that still doesn't answer why you're sure it's Quirrell," Nott replied.

"Just listen!" He urged sharply. "They must have stumbled across them in the forest tonight. Before I saw them I heard screams. Peter got caught and he started blaming Quirrell; he wouldn't be stupid enough to blame an innocent person and suffer twice the consequences. Besides, he was panicked, too scared out of his mind to convincingly lie. We pegged the wrong man." Sirius paused to catch a breath. "And what's more, Quirrell – and Voldemort – know he's going to tell Dumbledore. I caught sight of a figure on its way back into the castle."

Horrified comprehension dawned on Nott and he grabbed Harry's arm frantically. "He's going to try and get the Stone! Right now, isn't he?"

"It's his only chance," Sirius agreed.

"Quickly," Nott directed Harry. "You change back," he nodded towards Sirius, "and you take the cloak. We need to move."

"What are we doing? Are we going to the room with Fluffy?"

"We have to. He's going for that Stone and we don't have a moment to lose. I'd like to have help, but by the time we track down someone like Dumbledore and wait for them to be finished with Peter and convince them – by then it will be too late." Nott spoke as they ran down the hall but slowed when he heard Harry's footsteps stop. "Is something the matter?"

"It's my scar…" he whispered. "It feels like it's going to split my forehead apart…"

"Then we might have less time than we thought," Nott grumbled. "Come on, hurry!"

They ran, faster than before, Sirius padding along side them as they galloped down stairs and through corridors. As they rounded a corner, they suddenly noticed a large group of Hufflepuffs – Draco's friends.

Throwing their cloaks off, Nott shouted to them. "What are you guys doing? Do you know what's happening?"

"Nott!" Hannah gasped and ran over to him. "Nott, they're saying Draco got injured in the forest – that something went wrong."

"Rumor is," said a taller boy that Harry realized was Cedric Diggory, "that a murdered man reappeared screaming about You-Know-Who. Hagrid pulled him in when he brought Draco back. We were just on our way to the hospital wing to see him – got special permission to escort a group of his friends. But I didn't know that you lot were aware. Thought they only let his house know."

"Listen," Nott gasped. "You have to come with us."

"What?" Ernie looked from Nott to Draco. "What are you two up to?"

"That three-headed dog – we have to go there. Or something terrible is going to happen." Harry tried to convince them as well. He took a deep breath, feeling as though he were about to take a plunge. "Voldemort is after the Philosopher's Stone," he blurted. "You have to believe us. Draco – it's got something to do with that. He found out and now everything is happening too fast, but there's no time to get more help so you have to come with us!"

Despite his fears to the contrary, none of the Hufflepuffs seemed to doubt him for a second; the younger ones looked to Cedric, who hesitated but nodded, and then they joined Nott and Harry in a dash towards the hall where the dog was.

"But was about Draco?" Susan looked worried. "Won't he be worried or alone?"

"Dragon will be with him," Theo looked down at the dog with a severe glance. "Now go, boy!"

"How will he know the way?" Hannah panted, a stitch in her side.

"Scent," Nott replied smoothly. "He can track Draco's most recent movements." They reached the door and Nott withdrew his wand. "_Alohomora_!" The lock sprang open and they rushed inside.

Almost immediately the dog started growling at them; they could see a harp at its feet, presumably left there by another passer-by.

"Quirrell's already been here," Nott frowned.

"Professor Quirrell? What does he have to do with this?" Ernie asked, looking nervously at the dog.

"He was in on it, let Voldemort in – now be quiet!" Theo cleared his throat. "_Che farò senza Euridice?"_ He began to sing and motioned for the rest to head for the trap door as the dogs eyes began to closer. Cedric disappeared from sight first, followed by Harry then Hannah. "_Dove andrò senza il mio ben? Euridice!... Oh Dio! Rispondi! lo son pure il tuo fedel!_" His voice swelled as the dog's eyes drooped and eventually shut. Susan was already though the door and Ernie was halfway there, sticking a foot in. "_Euridice... Ah! non m'avanza più soccorso, più speranza, né dal mondo, né dal ciel_!" Theo continued as they all went through the door, shutting it behind them.

They fell into a damp, cold darkness that smelt of earth and a shiver ran through them simultaneous.

Whatever was ahead, they weren't going to turn back.

OOO

A/N: So it was either do the whole, huge confrontation in one go and delay the post, or divide it in two and post a bit early. So, in the interest of getting a new chapter out to you guys, I divided the action in two. ;) And I think we all have a pretty good idea of what's coming next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one and don't worry – the action packed conclusion to the first year will be out before you know it.


	41. A Time to Shine

OOO

When they landed, the students' fall was broken by something not altogether soft, but a vast improvement over the hard ground they were expecting.

"Alright, everybody," Cedric spoke up. "If I understand the situation correctly, we don't have a lot of time. So let's stick together, keep our wands out, move quickly, and do what we have to do before anything bad happens."

"Cedric?" Susan's voice wavered with panic.

"What's the matter?"

"Look at us!"

The rest looked down and found vines rapidly winding up their legs and around their torsos. Each tried to beat the wrapping off his or her limbs, but to limited effect.

"This isn't the way," Theo grunted as he brushed his arms frantically. "We have to _think_. It's a magic plant; we can't just brush it off."

"Then think of something before it strangles us!" Harry tried wresting it off his throat. "You're the smart one."

"Draco's the nature aficionado, not me!" Theo retorted.

"I recognize this," Ernie frowned as he tore a vine off his wrist. "Devil's Snare!"

"Fire, then," Cedric snapped his fingers and managed to make a motion with his wand, producing a stream of bright blue flame that caused the vines to recoil instantly. "Move, move!" He motioned them along through the hallway.

Hannah, however, held back. She peered down the dark hallway with trepidation, and then looked away.

"Hannah?" Ernie turned and the others halted as well. "Is something wrong?"

"I just… I just don't think I can do this!" She burst out, tears welling. "I'm so sorry, but the dog and the plants… and there's more ahead and it's only going to get worse…" She took a step back.

"Well be with you," Theo tried to offer assurance but she merely shook her head.

"It's alright, Hannah," Cedric gave her a quick hug. "Tell you what you can do. You need to get to Dumbledore – convince him that the Stone is in danger. Get Draco to help you – I'm sure he knows something too. But you need to assure Draco that we're alright and make sure that backup is coming in case anything goes wrong.

"Will you do that for us?"

She looked into his eyes and then, tears still streaking her face, nodded. With a wave of his wand, Cedric made a ladder of the vines for her to crawl back up through the trap door. They briefly heard her humming to get past the dog, then the trap door shut and all was silence and darkness once again.

"Come on," Harry broke the silence. "We need to get moving. The longer we wait, the better the chance Voldemort's gotten the Stone."

Dashing down the corridors, trying to quash the nervousness that had compelled Hannah to turn back, they become aware of a flapping noise coming in front of them.

"What is that?" Susan frowned. "Birds?"

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it bodes no good," Theo replied grimly.

"A little optimism?" Harry requested. "Let's not talk ourselves into worrying about nothing."

"Just being honest."

Entering the room, they stopped for a moment, stunned by the display that was fluttering about them.

"They are birds," Ernie looked puzzled. "But why? They're not attacking us."

"Maybe they won't until we go across the room," Harry ventured.

"No," Theo shook his head.

"No they won't attack?"

"No, they're not birds," Theo pointed upwards. "Look closer."

"He's right!" Cedric gasped. "They're keys!"

"Which means…" Susan ran across the room and frantically tried the door. "It's locked!"

"Figures," Theo muttered. "Which means one of the key is the one. But which?"

"The lock is old," Susan joined them again. "So maybe an old looking key?"

Cedric pointed. "Look! Brooms. Come on, now. We need to start flying – stun what you can, be careful not to hit each other, but find an old key!"

They swooped around the room before a glint of silver caught the eyes of Harry and Cedric simultaneously. They dove in unison towards the fluttering key that seemed to fly lopsidedly, as if it had been caught before. The other keys were brushed out of the way or flew off in a flurry as they shot towards the key then pulled away together.

"Do you have it?" Ernie called.

"Got it!" Cedric lifted his hand triumphantly, grinning.

They landed just as Cedric jammed the key into the lock and twisted. Piling into the next room, the came face to face with the largest chess set than any of them had ever seen.

"Chess?" Moaned Theo. "Fantastic. We must have to play to cross."

"Not just that," Cedric mused grimly. "But take the place of pieces."

"Well then, who's good at chess?" Harry asked and Theo and Ernie's hands edged upwards. "Who do you think is better?"

"Ernie," Theodore replied promptly.

Ernie blushed but nodded and had them each take positions on the board. He played carefully but skillfully; yet there were so many of them and chess was a game of exchanges. Susan, playing a queen, was the first to go, and in a move that allowed Theo to check the king, Ernie himself was felled. The others winced as each went down but both Hufflepuffs reassured them that it was no problem.

"We'll be back," Cedric promised as the knight took Ernie.

The taste of victory bitter in their mouths, Theo, Harry and Cedric went through the door.

"They'll be OK, right?" Harry asked Cedric nervously.

""I would hope so… No promises, of course. But these traps have been meant to stop or slow, not to kill. I would be surprised if they were fatal."

Entering the next room, they smelled a terrible stench.

"Troll," Theo spat. "Quirrell's I'm guessing; I suppose now we know how one came to be wandering the halls at Halloween."

Moving right on into the next room, a ring of flame suddenly flared around the three of them, purple behind and black in front.

"Trapped," Cedric frowned. "We must need the bottles to get through."

"There's a parchment here." Theo picked up a sheet. "Fantastic – a logic riddle." He sighed. "Well, it seems you weren't quite right about the nature of these tests – some of these have poison, some are nettle wine, one will take us back and one will take us forward." He looked up at the two of them. "You'll trust me to figure out the answer?"

Harry nodded firmly. "'Course, Theo. We know you can."

Theo mused for a moment, looked at the bottles, and then closed his eyes, muttering to himself. When he opened them again, he looked directly at Cedric and Harry.

"The small bottle," he murmured. "That's the one that leads forward."

"Which leads backward?" Harry asked.

"The round one at the right."

"There's not much in here," Cedric remarked. "Somebody drank from it already."

"I see. Hardly a sip." Harry frowned. "Only enough for one."

"Maybe not," Cedric mused and murmured a charm. The bottle refilled itself and he grinned at Harry and Nott. "Good thing I did a bit of reading ahead myself, eh?"

"Enough for all of us if we drink sparingly." Nott drew in a deep breath. "Which of course brings us to what might be behind that door. If I remember what Hagrid told us correctly, we have faced all the trials the teachers set forth. Which of course leaves only…"

"Voldemort," Harry finished.

"Here," Nott passed them the cloaks he'd kept with him since their venture earlier in the evening. "Cedric, you take one, Harry and I will take the other. Nobody move unless you have to. Try to remain unseen – get in the room quickly and move quietly."

They draped themselves in the cloaks and vanished to each other's sight.

"Ready?" Cedric's voice came from the air.

"Ready," Harry affirmed.

They walked through the fire and into the final chamber. There stood Quirrell, silent, gazing at the Mirror of Erised. They attempted to be quiet, but even so, Quirrell heard a footfall and smirked.

"Let me guess. Young master Potter?" His voice sounded nastily amused.

Pushing Theo away and stepping out from under the cloak, Harry drew his wand. "That's right. I'm here to stop you – you _and_ Voldemort," he declared with all the courage he could muster. Briefly he wondered what Theo and Cedric were doing and hoped it would help.

Quirrell turned and smirked at him. "_You_ came? Don't you think you should amend that statement?"

He drew his own wand and fired it at the air, sending Theo flying into the wall, the cloak sliding off him into a pile. Nott barely had time to stand before Quirrell snapped his fingers and bound him in ropes.

"Theo!" Harry cried.

"Another word and your friend dies," Quirrell told him flatly.

Theo scoffed and sneered defiantly. "You're going to kill me? How much of a coward are you that you can't suffer a first year to live?"

"Leave him," Harry shouted at Quirrell lifted his wand in rage. "Leave him, I told him to come here, take me instead!"

Just as Quirrell shifted his gaze, Theo retorted again. "That's right!" He mocked. "Let a boy tell you what to do. You're stupid enough to listen to Voldemort, I suspect you'll take anybody's advice." He had to keep him off balance, give Cedric time to figure out what he was about, give him time to do something, _anything_.

"You whelp!" Quirrell snapped.

"_Focus_!" A cold, growling voice came from beneath the turban. Theo wouldn't have supposed it to be more than a clichéd metaphor, but in that moment he swore he felt his blood run cold.

"Master?" Quirrell murmured.

"You waste time with these children; find the Stone!"

Quirrell snapped his now trembling fingers and cords bound around Harry too. He exchanged a frantic look with Nott who shot him a pensive glance back.

"The mirror," he mouthed silently. "Try to look in the mirror."

Harry nodded, understanding, and tried to edge towards it. If they wanted the Stone, all they had to do was look into the mirror and they would figure out where it was stashed. After all, they wanted nothing more at that moment than to know its location, so the mirror should show them that, shouldn't it?

"I can't figure it out master," Quirrell fretted.

There was silence for a moment and both Harry and Nott froze.

"The boy…" Voldemort whispered. "Use him…"

"You want me," Nott spoke up belligerently. Harry shot him a wild-eyed glare, as Nott struggled to get upright despite his bindings.

"You?" There was a low chuckled. "Undo the turban, Quirrell."

"Master – no!"

"Do it!" He commanded and Quirrell, dutiful, undid the wrappings. Nott swallowed his revulsion at the snake-like face sticking out of the back of Quirrell's head. "I know what _you_ see," the lipless mouth smirked. Too late, Nott averted his eyes and tried to block out the insidious chuckle. "And it will never be the Stone. Tell me, young Nott - is it warm, on your hands? Does it make your heart beat faster?"

"Shut up," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"I see," he laughed haughtily. "You don't want Harry to know."

"Master – Harry!" Quirrell pointed to Harry, who had been moving steadily towards the mirror.

"Stop him!" Voldemort shrieked as Quirrell's body spun, pointing a wand at Harry.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" A voice thundered out of the air.

Quirrell's wand went flying and a moment later Harry and Theo's bindings snapped. Nott snatched the wand out of the air and fixed it along with his own in Quirrell's direction. Quirrell turned to rush at the voice but Harry reached out for him. The moment Harry's hand wrapped around Quirrell's wrist the erstwhile professor shrieked in pain.

"Move away Harry!" Cedric's voice came from the air as Quirrell sunk to the ground in pain. "Find the Stone!"

Harry backpedaled, and then was pulled by Nott towards the reflective surface.

"STUPEFY!" The sound of the spell and a moan came from behind Harry, but Theo held him firmly, positioning him in front of the mirror.

"Look, Harry," he murmured urgently. "Do you see where it is?"

"I have it," he muttered numbly. "In my pocket…"

There was a dreadful shriek from behind them and they spun to see Quirrell's body convulsing.

"He's breaking the spell!" Cedric shouted, throwing the cloak off. "We have to get out of here – quickly! Make for the brooms in the key room!"

A bitterly cold wind swept through the room as they ran in a flurry from the mirror room, back the way they came, finding each of the doors unlocked drinking from the other bottle and finding the rest of the traps somehow deactivated now that the end goal had been attained. When they got to the chess room, Cedric scooped up Susan and gave Ernie to Harry and Nott who supported him together, moving as quickly as they could.

"Keep moving!" Theo commanded as they stumbled along. "I still have his wand but we don't know what he's capable of!"

"He's not even a ghost – can he hurt us?" Harry shouted as they clambered onto the handles, Susan on Harry's and Ernie on Cedric's. "Do you think he can even use Quirrell?"

"Let's not risk it," Cedric replied, kicking off, holding the younger boy tightly so he wouldn't fall.

Leaning in towards the brooms, they shot off, Harry taking the lead with Cedric right on his heels and Theo slightly lagging behind despite being unburdened.

"It feels like my skin is freezing," Nott shuddered.

"Don't think about it, we're almost there," Harry tried to encourage him as he clutched Susan by her robes. .

"There's the trap door!" Cedric smashed it with a wave of his wand while still managing to keep Ernie secure, and they nearly smashed into the ceiling and into Fluffy.

Bursting through the door to the dog in a shower of splinters, they smacked into a crowd of teachers that were making their way down the hallway. Stunned, Harry looked up through his skewed glasses.

"Quirrell," he babbled. "He's down there and so's Voldemort… but I have the Stone, it's OK, I have the Stone…"

A horrible wailing that reverberated throughout the halls of the school suddenly emanated from the door behind them and they all covered their faces as a gale force wind whipped around them. When the wailing died down, Nott got to his knees and desperately sucked in breath.

"The others… unconscious… help them…" he pleaded as Cedric foisted Ernie then Susan into the arms of professors Sprout and McGonagall.

As they struggled to catch their breath and give a coherent account of what happened, Madame Pomfrey moved to each in turn and lifted a flask to their lips. They fell into a sleep one by one and were lifted by various professors and carried into the hospital wing as the others gathered, a mixture of older students trying to see what was happening and teachers attempting to keep order.

Due to the ministrations of the head nurse, however, the few at the center of all the commotion remained blissfully unaware.

OOO

The sunlight beamed through windows of the infirmary and lit up the features of the students gathered there.

"Tell it again!" Millicent begged as they passed around more of the candy that had been given to the many involved in the night's commotion.

Seven beds had been pushed together to form a massive platform and kids were sitting on every inch of mattress and leaning over the railings, despite the disapproving glares from Madame Pomfrey.

"We've told it three times," Draco laughed.

"Well tell it again," George chuckled, tossing a Chocolate Frog to Nott. "It gets better each time you do."

"We've lots more butterbeer and candy to work through anyway," Lee grinned.

"Alright then," Draco laughed again as Sirius gave a bark. "So we were walking through the forest and I was with Ron…"

Hermione scooted in closer while Neville watched on wide-eyed, still gasping as various points during the tale. Fred, George and Lee nodded with approval at each twist or instance of valor. Next to them, Millicent manned the pile of treats that had been sent by well-wishers, making sure nobody ran out. Hannah sat next to Cedric, still a bit abashed despite profuse assurances of all she had done. Susan and Ernie were next to Draco, eagerly awaiting their turn, while Nott sat on his other side, quietly correcting hyperbole as it cropped up. Harry leaned back and grinned, simply grateful that his scar was pain-free.

At the door, Dumbledore looked on; when he turned, he found himself face to face with Professor McGonagall.

"Quite a group, aren't they?" She remarked quietly.

"Indeed," he nodded, but did not elaborate though her tone invited it.

"Have you told them yet?" She quirked an eyebrow and he shook his head gravely.

"No; let them have their victory, untainted by failure."

"Albus, I would hardly call it failure…"

"Nevertheless, he is gone. And I'm sure that will be a crushing blow."

Moving past his second in command, he disappeared down the hall without another word. The Transfiguration teacher sighed; it was aggravating to have mysteries and unexplained events hanging in the air, but she knew it was all the reply she would get for the moment. Hopefully over the next few days the whole story of the night would out, if not to the general student body, then at least to the teachers.

OOO

Far away, in darker reaches, a shadow brooded. He was wounded, but still not dead, more bent than ever and yet unbroken. Once more, to his endless frustration, the boy had thwarted him; him _and_ the other two.

To be sure, he would never forget their faces, particularly the boy who disarmed and stunned him. The day would come when they would pay, the lot of them. His twisted mind had a lengthy memory – and above all, it never forgot defeat.

OOO

A/N: Next chapter we have a wrapping up of events – things explained, tests taken, awards given and trains taken home. But don't worry; let you think it mere boring denouement, there will be a few twists in store including a fairly surprising ending ;)


	42. Moments of Joy

OOO

"So yeah, it was really weird," Draco told Nott as he shoved the last of the cards he'd been given into his bag. He wasn't quite sure what to do with all of the 'get well soon' notes he'd been given; at least, he thought, they'd eaten all the candy. "When I was yelling at him, it was like it was hardly even me. I was just so_angry_…"

"Angry enough to use multi-syllabic words like 'abomination?' You must have been furious," Theo teased as he helped pack up several teddy bears from assorted females.

"I was," Draco replied, uncharacteristically serious. "You weren't there – you didn't see her dead. It was awful, Theo. Blood everywhere, dark and cold, and there he was lapping it up…" he trailed off and shuddered. "It's over now, though. So I suppose it doesn't do to dwell." He gave Sirius' head a rub before shouldering his backpack.

They were on their way out of the infirmary when they ran into the headmaster, his hands pressed together as if in thought.

"Ah, Draco," He smiled. "Precisely the student I was hoping to see. Might I be allowed to part him from your company to go up to my office for a moment, Theodore?"

Not sure of what to say, the two looked at each other. Theo turned away first and nodded at Dumbledore.

"Of course," he replied in a respectful tone. For a moment he looked like he was about to say something more to Dumbledore, but changed his mind and looked back at his companion. "I'll see you later then, Draco?"

"Yeah, later," Draco responded numbly, wondering what the headmaster might want with him. "Take Dragon back, would you Theo?" He nudged the dog, not wanting him to run into Peter if this was what this was about – and he felt sure it was.

"No, no," Dumbledore shook his head. "I would further ask that you bring Dragon with you. If you would be so kind."

"Oh." Draco replied in a very small voice.

Following Dumbledore up to his office felt like walking to an execution to Draco. He was going to get in trouble; Peter must have said something about Sirius and now his family probably knew and what would they _think_ and if Peter convinced them otherwise, Sirius might end up back in prison…

"Sherbet lemon," Dumbledore told a gargoyle who moved aside to reveal the stairwell to his office.

Each step upward felt like a step closer to losing Sirius forever, perhaps in the worst way. Draco wondered if he ought to turn around and run, but realized he didn't have anywhere to go if he did. Well, Grimmauld maybe. But surely they would be watching that as well if they knew about Sirius' secret.

He felt warm fur against his leg and looking down he saw Sirius, staying by his side and pressing into him, as if to let him know that he wouldn't leave Draco alone. Draco gave him a rueful yet encouraging smile and Sirius licked his hand in reply.

When they reached the office itself, however, they saw nothing. No Peter, No angry Malfoy parents, no Aurors – nobody.

"Sir?" Draco asked, afraid to phrase an actual question.

"Sit down, Draco," he motioned towards the seats before seating himself behind his desk. "I realize the past few days have been difficult for you. What I am about to say will no doubt compound your distress," he sighed. "I am afraid that the man you helped to capture, Peter Pettigrew, has managed to escape."

"_What?!_" Draco leaped out of his seat and screamed. "How could you let him go? He was with _Voldemort_! He's a criminal, a _murderer_!" He slammed his hands on Dumbledore's desk, distantly aware that his eyes were clouding. He felt like his heart had been torn out; Peter was the key to Sirius freedom and to come so far and have Dumbledore lose him was unthinkable. "How?!" He trembled with anger.

"I was afraid this might be your reaction," Dumbledore stood and touched him on the shoulder. "But please, let me finish. All is not lost. Peter might have escaped; however, there is no question about his guilty role in this – and other – crimes."

Draco sank back down in his seat, swallowing hard and trying not to get his hopes up. "I'm… I'm not sure I understand, sir."

"When young Ms. Parkinson and Firenze came into Hogwarts that evening and accosted Professor Sinistra in the hall, as soon as she'd informed me, I sent for a member of the Ministry – a personal friend, I might add – named Kingsley Shacklebolt. He flooed into my office and came down the steps in time to see Hagrid hauling the man in question down the corridor.

"Peter was still raving about Quirrell at that point and I realized what must be happening. I was intending to leave him with Kingsley while I went and handled the issue of the Stone. However, we neither of us got the opportunity. That was when your friends came crashing back up through the trap door leading to where the stone was guarded.

"While Voldemort was escaping, Pettigrew took advantage of our distraction and changed into a rat. Kingsley gave chase, but we lost him in the labyrinthine corridors; however, this was not before Kingsley, in addition to myself and various teachers, saw both Pettigrew and his transformation, and heard him loudly blaming Quirrell for Voldemort's attempt at the Stone.

"This morning I contacted a man whom I assumed would know a bit more than I about the matter. Indeed, he filled in many of the blanks for me." Dumbledore turned towards the fireplace. "If you would be good enough to stay where you are, I shall fetch him."

He tossed a handful of floo powder in and stuck his head into the bright green flame after enunciating a location that Draco didn't quite catch. All he could distinguish was the phrase 'may come over now' before Dumbledore withdrew and straightened up, stepping aside so that the visitor could get through.

A moment later, a grubby looking man tumbled out of the flames, brushing ash off of his shabby robes. Next to Draco, there was a rush of air as Sirius transformed.

"Remus!" He ran over and gathered the man into a fierce, bone-crunching hug. "Remus, I thought I might never see you again…"

Draco wanted to scream, wanted to tell him that it wasn't safe. But Sirius' joy at seeing his old friend was contagious, and in a moment Draco was out of his chair and running up to them both.

"You're Remus Lupin?" He asked, eyes shining. "Sirius told me all about you, told me all about your adventure – oh! And we have your map, it's been tons of use – and you don't think Sirius still did it, do you?" He said this last in a much quieter voice, pleading.

"As I live and breath," Remus looked down at him. "A Malfoy."

"My name's Draco," he told him, sticking out his hand.

"So Dumbledore informed me," he replied, taking it and giving it a firm shake. "And yes, I do believe him."

"I contacted Remus here not long after Pettigrew escaped. He did not know about Peter's treachery; however, he did know about him being an Animagus. I wanted to confirm whether or not it was something Voldemort had taught him. When he told me about how all three of his friends had learned the skill and that Sirius was a dog – I wondered if your connection to your pet and your pursuit of Peter that night were entirely coincidental. And now few pieces of the puzzle remain to be filled in, but some do linger." Dumbledore nodded at Sirius. "If it is not too painful, we should both like to hear what happened over a decade ago."

Sitting down into a chair, Sirius explained his idea to switch secret keepers, his anger at Peter, how he'd escaped Azkaban and come into the company of Draco. As he told his tale, the boy interrupted on occasion to utter nasty epithets about Peter or to add or embellish parts of the story once he came into it.

When they were finished, Remus looked abashed and apologetic.

"I'm sorry Sirius. I… I wasn't a friend to you then. I thought you were guilty just like the rest, would have told them you were a dog if I knew that's how you were hiding – and if I thought anyone would listen to a werewolf."

For a moment, Sirius seemed somewhat angry and Draco looked at him, concerned. Then his look softened and he nodded. "I understand; I don't blame you. It was a hard time. Everybody was suspicious, spies were everywhere – nobody's reputation could speak for itself."

"Now, however, we have an interesting dilemma on our hands," Dumbledore gently interrupted. He pushed a paper towards Draco and Sirius so that they could read the headlines. It proclaimed a manhunt for Peter Pettigrew and stated that the Ministry would re-examine the Sirius Black case based on the new evidence that Peter's discovery brought. As Draco scanned the article, he realized that they had all but fully exonerated him. "I thought you might like to see that – seeing as you weren't receiving the paper while you were convalescing.

"If you will note, however, there is nothing in there about Sirius' transformation. I made the suggestion to Kingsley, before knowing the complete story, that it was a skill taught to him by Voldemort. I suggest that this… convenient fiction, shall we say, remain the story for the moment." He looked at Sirius apologetically. "I realize how eager you must be to clear your name. And I will see if it can be done, in a quiet and efficient fashion. However, as it is, we know that Voldemort is not entirely gone.

"Keeping information like your Animagus form a secret could be most useful. And I'm sure there are other concerns as well," he glanced at Draco.

Sirius frowned; Dumbledore was a persuasive man. However, it riled him to be reminded that the minute his secret was exposed and everybody found out the truth about Draco's pet, Draco would be in a great deal of trouble and likely come under a great deal of scrutiny.

"What can you do?" Sirius asked hesitantly.

"Arrange a private hearing with the Minister – enough to clear you, but not enough that your secret travels very far. Kingsley can help me with that. If all goes well, your name will be cleared but no connection will be made between Peter Pettigrew's transformation and Draco Malfoy's pet."

"Whatever you decide, I'll vouch for you this time," Remus assured him.

Sirius looked over at Draco, who was sitting next to his chair. "And what do you think?"

Rather than answer directly, Draco focused on the phoenix in the corner instead. "I don't want to influence you," he replied finally. "I mean, this is your life – your freedom, reputation, all that." He shrugged. "You shouldn't have to think about me. I mean – what have I got to complain about? Losing a pet versus you getting back your life?"

Despite his statements, however, Sirius could see the worry and the tears hovering behind Draco's eyes. The boy didn't want to be separated from him and most likely didn't want his parents to know. There would be a lot of hurt and trouble for him if Lucius and Narcissa ever found out, to say nothing of the anguish brought by being forcibly parted from a man who'd been by him for so long.

"I think it should stay a secret. For now, at least," he smiled. "Do what you can – let me know what you intend through Draco – or Harry, if you think that's too great a risk."

"He knows?" Remus looked unsurprised.

"Yeah," Sirius grinned.

"And I take it the others do as well?" Dumbledore ventured.

"Some of them," Draco admitted. "Nott and the Weasley twins and Harry. But not Hannah or Susan or Ernie. Hermione either." He chewed his lip. "We didn't want anybody finding out. Or at least as few people as possible."

"I understand." Dumbledore nodded. "And with that, I have matters to attend to and, in case you forgot," he smiled at Draco, "you still have finals approaching."

"Oh. Yeah," he forced a laugh. "Those."

"Yes, those."

Sirius looked over to his old friend. "I'll contact you soon, alright? We'll meet at Grimmauld sometime once school's out and get caught up on everything."

"I look forward to it." They quickly embraced once more before Sirius transformed into a dog and left with Draco.

The moment he reached the last step, Draco bounded off and went to go and find Nott and the others. He wondered if they knew yet; but if they didn't, he couldn't wait to tell them.

OOO

There were thunderous cheers filling the air as Harry stepped onto the turf of the Quidditch pitch, the Snitch clutched in his hand. If there were any experience that could top guaranteeing the security of the Stone, this would be it – or at least come close – he thought as Lee Jordan screamed and the Quidditch Cup was passed to Oliver Wood. He held it aloft along with Harry and the rest of the team gather around them, then their house and then the school, cheering until they were hoarse.

"Great job Harry!" Theo gave him a hug that practically strangled him and Hermione wasn't far behind.

Draco joined the throng, glad to see Harry beat Ravenclaw and win the Quidditch Cup even if it held no particular significance for Hufflepuff. Beside him, Sirius was barking as though the moment might vanish if he stopped. They tried to get nearer to Harry but the crowd was simply too thick, so they held back and waited; sure enough, as the group started to dissipate and move the celebration inside, Harry came over to them.

Tears were streaming down his face and he was flushed with happiness. "I think this might just be the best moment of my life," he managed, straightening his glasses as they'd been knocked askew during the celebration.

"You were awesome, Harry," Draco agreed. "You deserve this. It's a good thing we all got better when we did, hunh? Otherwise you might have missed it and who knows how Gryffindor would have done."

"We're just lucky we didn't miss the exams," Theo sniffed. "I'll be lucky if I scraped through, losing so much study time like that."

"I'm sure you did fine," Draco rolled his eyes. "You studied enough for three people. Besides, I think what you did was a little more important than studying and getting good grades."

"But my snuffbox didn't have flowers on the lid, only the sides!" He fretted. "And I'm almost sure the clasp was wrong."

"Theo!" Draco gave him a light punch in the shoulder. "Mine had a tail and Harry's squeaked – whatever you got, it was better than us. If you want to talk about failure, look at my Forgetfulness potion for Snape."

"I don't want to think about failure at all," Harry interrupted. "We just won the inter-house tournament, exams are over, Voldemort didn't get the Stone – I'm not sure anything could be much better."

The others nodded in agreement; even the weather seemed to be echoing their content. The days had been sunny and temperate, not too hot despite the impending summer months. The lake was clear, the air fresh and the sky a brilliant blue that stretched on for what looked like forever.

Voldemort's flight was worrying and Pettigrew's escape was maddening. Yet for the moment, life was wonderful and the three boys were riding high.

As they continued talking amongst themselves, about the exams and their excitement, the Weasley twins ran over with Lee, Millicent and Hermione in tow.

"There's a huge party in the Common Room, but we can't be missing our guest of honor," Fred grinned as they tugged Harry along.

"Come along, the lot of you," George agreed. "Or we'll be forced to carry you over."

"No need!" Harry laughed, pulling his arms out of their grasp. "Come on!" He broke into a run with his friends following, all the way to the Common Room where they partied far into the night. Endless amounts of candy and butterbeer were passed around while the Weasleys ducked off to the kitchens and persuaded the House Elves to bring them up a feast. People were laughing and cheering, touching the Quidditch cup and randomly slapping team members on the back.

It was getting close to midnight and most people had gone off to bed or were beginning to think about it, when the portrait swung open one final time. There at the door was Hagrid, a book clutched in his hand.

"Hey Hagrid," Draco grinned. "Come to congratulate the man of the hour?" He pushed Harry in the groundskeeper's direction.

"We won!" Harry grinned, throwing his arms around Hagrid as best he could.

"I know," Hagrid grinned back, the whites of his teeth peeking out from beneath his beard. He cleared his throat. "But before I get carried away… 'm sorry 'bout all the… the mess I caused, wha' with tellin' Quirrell 'bout Fluffy an' all." He blushed.

"No harm was done," Theo chimed in as he and Draco drew closer to see what was happening. "Everything turned out for the best – don't worry about it."

"I jus'… I felt like I should apologize. An' congratulate you on yer big win. Ter celebrate I… well, I got yeh this." He thrust the book into Harry's hands. "'S an album of yer parents. Got their old schoolmates ter send photos in an' such, since yeh didn't have any."

"Hagird… Hagrid, I…" His mouth gaping, Harry was silent. "Thank you," he whispered at last, his eyes filled with tears.

Draco left him then to look over the memories in peace; he couldn't help but smile, though, at the glimpse he caught of Sirius, waving cheerfully out of one of the photographs.

OOO

A/N: So that is what happened to Peter. At least, that's part of the story. Where he went and what he's doing… that's for later. Which brings me up to a very important point about next chapter.

As you can all tell, the first book's events have been winding down. Despite some timeline changes (thus explaining Harry's presence at the final game vs. Ravenclaw), the Hogwarts school year is drawing to a close and so is this part of the tale. However – there's still a lot more to tell. Namely years 2 through 7. So this is how it's going to go down.

The next chapter will end on a cliffhanger that will lead directly into the next story. The last chapter of this story and the first of the next will be posted simultaneously – so the moment you're done reading this one, you can move right on to the next :).

As a semi-preview for that story: Draco's personality has definitely developed in a certain direction. The next story will be about some of the consequences, particularly the negative ones, this starts to have – for Draco _and_ for Theodore. Plus, though Sirius is on the verge of being publicly declared innocent, he will start to feel the stress as well, caught between being there for Draco and resuming his life, trying to balance as much as possible.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you won't miss the next and last (but certainly not final!) chapter.


	43. The First Year Completed

OOO

Despite the copious amounts of food present at the final feast, Ron didn't find much to be cheerful about. Not even finals being over and the prospect of summer stretching before him could cheer him up. Not only had Draco and the rest not gotten into trouble for their antics, but thanks to Dumbledore doing some dodgy math with the points at the very end, both Hufflepuff _and_ Gryffindor were co-points winners, leaving Slytherin out in the cold. Ron highly suspected that such favoritism was going to be the norm for the next few years, so he might as well bite his tongue and get used to it.

Looking down into the pudding he'd piled on his plate as he swirled it around with a spoon, Ron grimaced as he could hear the whoops of voices filling the hall. He was still in the doghouse with the rest of the Slytherins for losing them so many points that night he'd gone after Draco in the hall, he'd managed to almost get himself killed and he now got to spend the next few interminable months with his moronic twin brothers who, though they couldn't do magic, would surely find ways to prank him out of his mind.

Then there was an elbow in his side; he turned and saw Pansy who gave him a small smile.

"Next year, okay?" She whispered. "You're just a first year. People have short memories and a whole summer to forget. By the time we get back here, nobody will remember. Yes, I know, it stings to see those stupid Gryffs walk away with everything. But it's just one year. Next year – next year will be our year. Promise."

For a moment, Ron stared at her dumbly. Then, he nodded slowly, and returned the small, regretful smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess it will be if we try."

"Like I said –_promise_." She swallowed. "I'm just… I'm just glad you're okay. That we're okay. Alright?" He nodded. "So let's try not to fight again. Because we have to stick together. And if we fought…" Pansy sighed. "I just keep thinking about how awful if would have been if one of us didn't come back from the forest. If we were still not talking and then that happened and we would never get to talk again."

"Didn't happen though," Ron ventured. "We're fine."

"Even so. We're not getting mixed up in something like that again. Right? Let the Gryffindors get killed if they're so keen on heroics."

Nodding in agreement, Ron went back to his food. He was still pretty down, but it was good to know that Pansy was friends with him again.

OOO

Seated amidst a cluster of his friends, shouting back and forth with the Gryffindor table, Draco could not have imagined a final feast more unlike the first one he'd experienced at Hogwarts. After Dumbledore had given them all points for their role in the protecting of the stone, Hufflepuff pulled even with Gryffindor in points; even Hannah had been given points for getting help.

Rather than being ostracized, this time Draco was surrounded by enthusiastic house well-wishers while Zach sat morosely on the other end of the table. Justin had been as eager as any to hear Draco's tale over and over, and at that point there seemed to be no doubt in his mind that Draco was a much a Hufflepuff as the best of them.

The feast was over and they were on the Hogwarts Express before he knew it, trunks packed, owls stowed and supplies shoved away and promptly forgotten. Not content to stay with one group of friends, Draco kept bounding back and forth between a compartment with Harry, Theo and Hermione, another with Hannah, Susan and Ernie and a third with the twins and Millicent. The train chugged on towards its destination at Kings Cross as each group alternately speculated about what they would do over the summer.

"I fully intend to get caught up on my reading and get a head start on next year's texts," Theo told Draco when the other boy inquired. He affixed headphones to his head, and pressed a button on the now-functional CD player. "It's never too soon."

"Get caught up?" Draco looked at him, dumbfounded. "But all you do is read!"

"That and get into trouble," Nott replied with a smirk. "Thanks to you."

"You can't have that much you want to read. And there's no way I'm letting you sit inside and read the whole summer long."

"I doubted that you would. Nevertheless, I fully intend to finish at least twenty books over the course of the holiday." He cranked up the volume. "It's silly, such a little thing, but it's nice to be back where technology works. That is the one downside to Hogwarts."

"What're you listening to?" Theo passed Draco the headset.

"Listen for yourself."

Draco set them on his ears and sat quietly for a moment, then nodded. "Not bad," he said as he handed them back. "What was it?"

"Well, well. You do surprise me," Nott grinned. "That, Draco, was opera; in particular "Casta diva" from Bellini's _Norma_."

"Why didn't you tell me opera wasn't just screeching?" Draco laughed. "Maybe I would have listened to more of it."

"Have you ever actually seen an opera?" Harry asked.

Nott affirmed with a nod. "A few times that I can remember. I went with my mother when I was very small to _Aida_ and snuck out to a performance of _The Queen of Spades_ when I was about nine and _Eugene Onegin_ when I was ten."

"Snuck out?" Hermione looked puzzled. "You had to sneak out to see opera?"

"Father isn't much for the arts," Nott replied with a shrug. "And even less so when it's a thoroughly Muggle artistic performance or expression."

An uncomfortable moment passed in silence before Harry changed the subject to who they thought would be on the Quidditch teams next year and whether Draco or anybody else he knew was going to try out. Theodore went back to listening to his CD, Hermione buried herself in a book and Draco and Harry continued to go on about who might be the new Ravenclaw keeper.

OOO

The moment he pulled his trunk off of the Hogwarts Express, Theo caught a glance of his father out of his peripheral vision and nearly dropped the steamer trunk on his foot. The elder Nott's eyes were fixed on him, disproving, as if he were a specimen being examined in a laboratory that wasn't quite fit.

Collecting his wits, Theo dragged the trunk over.

"Hello father," he said with a nod.

A long silence passed between them before his father's frown parted and a single word issued from his lips.

"Gryffindor?" Disapproval dripped from every syllable.

"Yes," Theo replied without even attempting an explanation.

Off to the side, Draco watched his friend with a worried glance. He made a move to go towards him, but the pressure of his own father's hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked up into Lucius' face and the older man shook his head only once, while Narcissa continued to look at the pair of Notts with a concerned expressed.

"Come, Draco," Lucius whispered urgently. "You've had a long trip, you must be eager to be home."

The three Malfoys left, with Dragon following behind. Draco and his dog cast a last look at Harry and waved, having promised profusely to write and to abduct Harry, if possible, for another visit.

Much as he would miss Harry and worry about him with the Muggles, though, Draco felt a surge or nervousness towards Theodore; Draco hadn't liked the expression on the older Nott's face at all.

OOO

Late that evening, the elder Nott sat in his private study, listening to the faint noises coming from overhead and looking at the various curios he had situated about the room. The boy had reacted to his ultimatum precisely the way he'd expected him to; Theodore played at being silent and mysterious but even his strange moods had a method to them.

However stealthy the boy might assume he had to be, his father would not oppose him. No, the aging wizard thought, that was far too obvious a way to go about punishing his son for his indiscretions. Glancing at the door, Nott snapped his fingers and a house elf suddenly appeared at his side.

"Tippy?"

"Yes master?" The elf squeaked.

Leaning forward, he took a slim black book off of his desk. "Whilst Theodore is rushing about packing, I want you to slip this into his trunk amidst his other books. You are not to tell anybody – other elves, other people, and least of all Theodore – that the book is there. You are to make its placement as natural and non-obvious as possible, neither at the top nor on the bottom of the pile of books.

"Once you have placed the book, you are to come directly back to me."

The elf took the book in his spindly fingers with a nod then vanished with a faint crack. The elder Nott waited patiently, smiling; it might be a while before the boy found it, but he could afford to wait for eventualities. And if that didn't work, then there were always other options.

His task completed, Tippy returned to find Nott holding a goblet, ready with one final command.

"Drink."

Apart from one or two of the other elves, nobody even noticed that he was gone.

OOO

Ginny flopped around in her bed, unable to sleep as her head was filled with thoughts of the stories Fred and George had returned with. Percy had looked very disapproving about them relating what happened at Hogwarts and Ron had been rather horrid about the whole subject of Harry or Theo or Draco – the last most of all. The whole ride home had been filled with bickering between the brothers, barely contained displeasure from their father and failed attempts at peacekeeping by their mother.

When the story was told, however, it caught Ginny's imagination. If that was what Hogwarts was really like, then she couldn't wait to attend, particularly with friends like Harry and Draco getting up to adventure all of the time. She suspected she would be getting an owl from Draco about it soon; hearing it from his perspective would no doubt be exciting as well.

As she tried to fall back asleep, Ginny hears a suddenly rushing, creaking noise. There was a light rain outside but what she head sounded more like a rather large vehicle pulling up to the house. Running to the window in the hall, she at first thought it impossible since they were on a back road that even Muggles didn't drive past.

Looking down, however, she saw that it was the Knight Bus, with a single figure exiting its doors. As the bus drove off, Ginny ducked back into her room, pulled on a robe and tore downstairs.

Her mother was already there and Fred and George were close on her heels, followed by her father, Ron and Percy. Mrs. Weasley opened the door to find a slight figure standing in the darkness, a rain-drenched robe covering his hunched shoulders.

"Nott?" George murmured in astonishment when his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"Nott?" His mother's eyebrows shot up. "Theodore _Nott?_"

OOO

A/N: And thus everything for the first year wraps up, but not in an entirely neat little package. Trouble is brewing for the second year and it will get a head start in the summer. And as promised, the beginning of that story is up now too - just click on my profile and it should be there. Fingers crossed. :)


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